The MoonLight Path
by PrueAndyForever
Summary: AU. Picks up after the EB break in NM. In the wake of her depression, Charlie sends Bella to live with a distant Aunt. What happens when buried family secrets resurface and Bella's recurring nightmare pushes her closer to Jacob and her hidden identity?
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Okay, lol, I have to do this and get this out. I've just re-watched **NM **for the third time and really needed to get a good dose of **JB** out of my system. I love them, and while I don't hate Edward, I am definitely Team Jacob/JB all the way from **NM **to the bitter end. Needless to say, while I know the plot of **BD** completely (courtesy of my **EB **sister lol), I have not read it. And I don't plan to either - I need my land of happy denial.

Oh, and I love werewolves mythology a bit more than the vampire one so I'm going to try and expand on that inside of my story. I'm all for **JB** fluff but when I write, I do need to have a decent amount of angst and a plot going along with everything. There will still be vampires included but I just have some extra-added ideas for the former genre. I absolutely love the pack and wish that **NM** could have given us more with them.

Here's to hoping that **Eclipse** does.

Also, yes, before anyone asks, **JB** will end together. If you're looking for an **EB** story, my advice is to turn away while you still can. However, if you're an **EB **fan and have no problems with continuing, lol, that's great too. All are welcome to give my story a try, hehe.

***** **

**Title****: The Moon-Light Path**

**Summary****: **AU - picks up after Edward leaves Bella. In the wake of her depression and nightmares, Charlie sends Bella to live with a distant Aunt who is close by. However, one recurring nightmare remains and holds the real key to Bella's destined path. What happens when buried family secrets resurface and Bella's recurring nightmare pushes her closer to Jacob and her hidden identity? Who and what dangers lie on The Moon-Light Path?

**Pairing****: **Jacob x Bella

**Rating****: T **(I'll keep it at this rating for now. I originally placed it at **M** but just decided to change it later if/when and I need to).

**Disclaimer:** I do not own **Twilight **or any part of the series. Stephanie Meyers takes full credit. I'm borrowing characters and concepts just for fun. No financial profit or monetary gain is being made.

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**Prologue**

**(BPOV)**

I'm drowning.

These dreary days grow longer and the nights get darker - becoming increasingly unbearable with the passing of time. They say that time heals all wounds but mine just continue to fester and remain invisible to the outside world. Well, invisible to everyone except for Charlie that is. I couldn't keep the nightmares away from him for very long - my bouts of screaming episodes startling him out of sleep in those late hours. However, I still managed to wake up and plaster on that fake smile each and every morning - a smile that would bring a curve to my lips but make my face feel like stiff cardboard when I sat down at the table to eat breakfast with him. To my apparent misfortune, Charlie wasn't buying most of it though. See, because the truth is that while I sit there with him, I'm really not _there_ at all. He eventually wanted me to see a shrink, talk to somebody else if I would refuse to talk to him, but I scoffed at the idea and refused. Next, he threatened to ship me back to Jacksonville with Renee and Phil if I didn't straighten out soon. He said he didn't want to but he was at a loss on what to do for me. He couldn't help me but little did he know, it wasn't personal. I wish he could have helped me. But no one could help me. So then I did the only thing I could - I plead and I begged for him to let me stay in Forks and then finally made promises that I already knew I can't keep. Yes, I know, it's a real crappy thing to do to him and let me say I didn't think I could possibly feel any worse than I already did. The guilt suffocates me like giant tidal waves engulfing me in the midst of a brewing storm and it was unsettling to look my dad in the face and lie to him about everything that was really going on inside me. But I was too desperate; I just couldn't leave Forks now. I wouldn't leave Forks. This place was my last connection to him.

It's pathetic really. Even I know this on some sane level, in one of those dark and dusty parts of my rational mind, but I just can't seem to save myself from this sinking ship I'm trapped on. There is no amount of heavy logic or reason that will make my heart stop and relinquish what it truly desires.

I'm drowning.

The worst part is that there's no life preserver anywhere within my reach. That gaping hole in my chest is quickly filling up with water and I'm almost out of breath.

He's everywhere I go, everywhere that I look. While passing by in the halls at school, I can see him leaning against my locker with his hands in his pockets as he flashes that special grin reserved only for me. He patiently awaits me in the lunchroom with the others - Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. Every shadow I think I see flickering within the darkest corners fills me with some masochist sense of false hope that maybe, just maybe, he's close by and still watching me. And then immediately after the idea enters my mind, with hardly any effort on my part, all the expectations suddenly dance unwittingly from my subconscious mind into my conscious thoughts making me feel alive again even if it's only for the briefest of moments.

Maybe they've come back for me? Maybe they've changed their minds? But that spark of hopeful anticipation that lights up my being is always short-lived. Because, in the end, they never do come back for me.

HE never comes back for me.

The tightening in my chest returns, I can feel the familiar pangs of knots squeezing inside of my stomach as the burning hits me full force. It consumes me and my heart constricts. I realize I have trouble breathing as reality comes crashing back around me once again.

The chairs at one particular table located near the windows in the school cafeteria always remain empty. Someone had to make proper use of them so why not me, right? I've sat at that one spot for days - without an appetite, zoning out with my daydreams. The endless streams of guys standing at lockers throughout the halls look nothing like the one my eyes so desperately seek to find. If I accidentally make eye contact or if a smile is thrown my way, I immediately shift my gaze towards the tiled floor and quicken my pace. The shadows in the dark corners are always just what they appear to be - shadows, contrasting with the light, much in the same way my soul seems to be doing right now. I once told Edward that he could have it - my soul that is, and that it meant absolutely nothing to me without him. The irony in thinking back to that conversation is that he took most of my soul with him anyway when he left me, even if he didn't want any part of it. He took the good part of me and left me alone to wallow in darkness because I'm probably the equivalent of a walking zombie on two legs, just merely half of the person I used to be. I've been left to wallow in this eternal, foreign state of perpetual sorrow and despair that has easily integrated itself into my psyche. It's scary, these feelings are so strong and undeniable that it almost makes me numb but the emptiness has easily transitioned into my norm, and in a weird way, allows me to keep a hold of my remaining sanity.

I feel abandoned. Much in the same way a lost puppy might feel after being stranded by it's mother as it struggles to fend for it's life.

At night, I have the nightmares to look forward to; however, usually - the dreams start out simple and sweet. I know I can look forward to a temporary reprieve the moment my head hits the pillow, long after the sun goes down. I drift until my eyes flutter completely shut and then I'm instantly transported to our special place. It's the meadow clearing - where a bed of colorful flowers spreads out beneath us and Edward and I lie facing one another. I feel such warmth under the bright, mid-day sun and I smile at my love as the crisp beauty of Edward sparkling beside me completely enthralls me. He shines and our hands stretch out so that we can touch, our fingers meeting just at the tips. I realize that I want to sparkle too - I want to shine much in the same way as Edward shines but this is where the dream shifts and the nightmare begins. Edward's lips are moving, trying to tell me something, but I can't hear what he is saying. My face contorts into a mask of confusion.

Then, Edward fades away before my very eyes.

I'm left with my arm reaching out - touching nothing but the empty air. My forehead creases as I ponder what exactly has happened. He didn't look like he wanted to leave me?

My meadow, our beautiful meadow, that was filled with such peace and tranquility only a few precious moments before transforms into a huge grassy crossroad and I am standing in the middle of it. Two very clear and distinct paths are found at opposite ends of the clearing. However, even stranger, night and day are split and represented by each of the roads. To the right of me, I find a bright ball of sun blazing over the gravel path that will take me to Edward and the future I so desperately want from him. I smile and immediately run into his arms. After I do, I look down and see myself sparkling as the brightness from the sun allows the light to shine off of me. Edward moves to pull me along the path with him; however, I hesitate when I get a view of something coming straight at us. My adrenaline picks up and a foreboding sense of fear overtakes my senses when I realize whatever it is, is in fact, coming straight for me. I pull myself out of Edward's grasp and turn to run as a horde of vampires continue on their quest to hunt me down. I can feel their presence - they're gaining on me as I desperately seek to reach the security the night of the second path has to offer. When I reach the border and step across, I turn and the mass of vampires have vanished. I release a heavy sigh of relief; however, I am soon shocked to discover that Edward did not follow me. While I'm blanketed by the darkness of the second path, he remains in the same spot as before, basking in the glow of the day path. He reaches out to me - pleading for me to return to him. I suddenly feel sad and desire to go back to him but I immediately stop myself when I feel the presence of another close by. As I slowly turn around to look down this path of night, a huge full moon hovers in the night sky and the trees lining both sides of the road sway with the same light breeze that gently lifts my hair in wisps. My eyes continue on their search down the long, narrow, dirt road until they come to rest upon someone in the distance.

I can see HIM!

However, to be clear, I'm not exactly sure who this "him" really is because he's a dark shadowy figure standing far away from me. But one thing is for sure - he's beckoning to me, his arm outstretched and urging me forward. I can feel a deep seeded love and a fierce protectiveness emanating from this shadow figure; however, it frustrates me that I can't place a face or I don't know a name so I can identify this mystery person. The beating of my heart picks up - I can feel it drumming in my ears in a very rapid and steady pattern. The blood, my blood, picks up speed as it races through my veins like a lightening bolt to the ground - I'm hot to the touch and probably feel like I'm burning up except I don't feel sick at all. Hm, how odd, I conclude but I know very well I'd probably most likely have a high fever if this was, in fact, not just my dream.

"Bella?!" the soft voice of the shadow figure calls out to me.

I take my first few tentative steps in the direction of this stranger, nervous and trusting at the same time. In a soothing way, the sound of the voice envelops me but then that's when the other voice hits me.

Edward.

"Bella, no!" his pained voice pleads with me. Slowly, I turn my head back around to find an agonized mask gracing the face of my beloved. "Come back!"

However, for the first time, I reevaluate my choice of words.

Is he really my beloved?

"Bella?! This way!" the other voice pulls my attention back in the direction of the figure standing underneath the bright moon that's hovering in the background. The tone is gentle but firm and I find myself drawn to it no matter how desperate the other voice, Edward's voice, begins to sound from behind me.

There is an undeniable pull and so I begin the journey forward.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

My foot reaches out to take the fourth step when I'm suddenly ambushed from out of nowhere. Once again, fear overpowers me as a massive shadow descends from out of the blackness, leaps onto me, and totally blind-sides me. Just like with the shadow figure who was calling to me seconds before, I can not make out who or what this presence is supposed to be - or what the hell it even wants with me for that matter. All I know is that I'm in danger and it's a danger I can never see coming. Every time I dream about this path this frightening thing comes as a surprise - unlike with the vampires who await me on the other path with Edward. I know that they're there, I know what they are, and I know that they exist in his world. However, right now, I try to focus because I'm trapped in some kind of a supernatural struggle. I'm being tossed and turned around on this gravel, dirt road - dragged, as my nails dig into the dirt and human claw marks are left in my wake while I'm pulled at an inhuman speed down the path. Even worse, I can feel the panic coming from the shadow figure who is so near, so very close, as he rushes to my rescue. However, the help comes too late when I suddenly feel a sharp, tearing pain insert itself into the depths of my flesh. I've been bitten by what I can only describe as incisor sharp teeth and I let out a scream.

This is the part of the nightmare I usually wake up from.

I wake up trembling in fear - screaming and shaking. Because somehow, I go to sleep basking in the comfort and security of Edward only to wake up desperate for my unknown savior to reach me and save me in time.

And my unknown savior can only be found in one place ...

On the Moon-Light Path.

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**A/N: **Hey peeps. Reviews would be lovely. Bella's dream actually carries alot of symbolism - both for things that have already happened in canon (Edward leaving her) and for other things that will play out during the story. Oh, and um, three guesses on who the "mystery shadow figure" is on **The Moonlight Path? (*winks*).**

**To Be Continued: **Okay, let me know, lol. Just remember more reviews = quicker updates.


	2. My World Is Spinning On It's Axis

**A/N:** Okay. The first new chapter is up. It jump starts the story. Things will start slow because I need to build this story up. Hope you like. Oh, and I bumped the rating down to **T** because I figured I can just change it/post a warning when some of the more "mature" themes show up.

Anyway, please review. All thanks go out to those who did **(*winks*).**

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**Chapter One: My World is Spinning on it's Axis**

**(BPOV)**

"Bella! Get up, I want you packed and ready to go in an hour!"

Okay, I know I recognize the voice but my mind still feels fuzzy as I border on the edges of sleep. However, even with that being the case, I can still make out two very distinct things about this voice. The first: the tone is firm. Second: the command leaves absolutely no room for any argument whatsoever. Third: I'm too tired to care. However, in spite of all that, it is the incessant tugging and shaking assaulting my lower legs above my blankets that is becoming increasingly annoying to me. It's a Saturday morning, no school - praise god, and all I want to do is to be able to sleep in for most of the day. Is that too much to ask?

"Bella!"

_Ouch! Now that sounded alot closer. Way too close._

"Huh?" my early morning greeting comes out muffled as my hands fly to my ears to preserve what's left of my hearing. "What?" I also manage to slip out in a raspy voice while I struggle to open my eyes, resulting from another long and sleepless night. "Dad?" I question while lying flat on my stomach, my arms returning to hug the pillow weighted underneath me, squeezing it tighter to my chest.

"Yes. Get up!"

Right, definitely Charlie. I throw myself face-first back into the warmth emanating from my pillowcase.

"Bella! I'm serious. No more moping around. I need you packed in less than an hour so we can be on the road. I need to get back; I'm expecting Billy by noon to go on that cancelled fishing trip we made plans for last weekend. It's almost ten right now," he glances down at his wrist watch before turning his attention back on me. "And it's going to take us at least a good forty minutes to make it into Port Angeles."

_Port Angeles?_

That ultimately catches my attention and breaks through the last remaining barriers of sleepiness that are threatening to grab a hold of me once again. Why in the world is Charlie taking a trip into Port Angeles? More importantly, why does he feel the need for me to tag along?

"Dad, no offense, but I kind of had plans for today," I try wheasling my way out of it. "Can I just give you a rain check for another time?"

I slowly sit up in my bed watching Charlie, hands on his sides, as he eyes me with a heavy amount of skepticism. Yeah, I'm not getting out of it that easily, I quickly conclude. The next words coming out of Charlie's mouth prove that my mad skills at being analytically perceptive are right on cue.

"Uh," he stutters out with an unamused laugh, "Right. If those plans consist of another weekend spent lounging around in bed all day - rain check denied!" he rebukes quite strongly without even an ounce of regret.

However, it is at this point that my mind reverts into rewind mode as I quickly recall something else he has mentioned about our little, unplanned, father-daughter getaway.

"Wait. Pack?" my eyes narrow a bit as I question him about that almost forgotten detail. "Um, are you like planning on driving me into the city and dropping me off near the closest homeless shelter?" I try joking in a light manner, hoping that will earn me some leeway.

I just need to convince him that I'm getting better. Which means - my mood needs to reflect it too.

"Yeah, funny," he smirks but it doesn't reach his ears. Unfortunately, I could tell he still wasn't buying my little act. "Listen, Bells, we've been over this tons of times over the last few months," his voice turns somber.

_Uh-oh! Here we go again._

I brace myself for what is coming next. Whatever it is - I know I'm not going to like it. Is he driving me back into Port Angeles and forcing me to fly back to Renee in Jacksonville? I can pull the age card on him if I want to, after all, I did turn eighteen this year. Technically, I am of legal age. Then again, this is Charlie's home. He pays the mortgage, not me. By all rights, he has every right to ask me to leave if he wants to. But where else will I go? My little part time job at Newton's is hardly enough for me to invest in managing my own living expenses. Wouldn't that knock out college? My mind races, trying to find the right solution to halt this unexpected development.

"And your mother and I feel that it would be best ..."

"Dad! I'm not going to Florida!" I blurt out, shutting my eyes tightly and shaking my head simultaneously. Charlie has barely gotten the words out but I can't stop myself from balking at what is to come. "I'm sorry but I can't. If I have to move out, get a better job, whatever, fine - but I'm not leaving. I'm staying right here in Forks. We already went over this."

A weary sigh leaves Charlie's lips. "I know we've been over it, Bells, but you also promised there would be changes," he is quick to remind me in a somewhat agitated manner. "And so far," he hesitates before finishing his thought, "I just don't like the changes I've seen."

_Yeah and that's probably because there haven't really been any changes_, I can't help but think snidely to myself. I guess it was worse than I thought - I knew Charlie was worried and that he wasn't completely buying my act but I didn't suspect that he was seeing straight through me, lies and all. I don't want to change but there's no way to make Charlie understand that. I need this pain; it's the only thing that makes me feel alive - reminds me of what you used to be.

"But dad ... " I begin to protest before he cuts me off this time.

"And you didn't let me finish," he reprimands me. "What I was going to say is that your mother and I feel that it might be beneficial to send you to live with your Aunt Vivian for a little while. That way - you don't have to completely uproot yourself all over again. We've discussed it over the phone a few weeks back as an option and it's the best we could come up with for now."

Okay, I think I felt the shock waves hit me slowly at first. Then, the reality of what he was actually admitting to sunk in.

"What?" I reiterate in utter disbelief. "Aunt Vivian? Dad, are you serious? I barely even know the woman. And, can I remind you that what memories I do have are severely limited to a few scattered visits here and there that we made together to La Push and to the Blacks. Oh, that, and her annoyingly bratty son who demonstrated some serious control issues at the mere age of eight when he grabbed my head and slam-dunked it into a pile of mud pies like he was playing on his very own basketball court."

"Oh, c'mon, Bells - Darren wasn't that bad!" the first hint of a real smile crosses my father's face.

"He was always showing off," I counter.

"He was eight!" my father counters right back with a laugh, trying to remind me of the exact point that I already tried to make.

"And I was only six. He should have been more mature."

"Bells, it was harmless."

"Dad! He would make Jacob cry!" a very small but genuine smile forms on my lips but I can't help it. The memory of a four-year old Jacob Black running to my rescue and to salvage what was left of our handiwork, his wailing protests and all, brings a brief fluttering feeling into my stomach.

"Okay, so I'm not going to win you over with the Darren argument," my father still sounds quite amused by the whole subject. "But the fact remains that your mother's already talked it over with her and Vivan's agreed to let you come and stay with her for the rest of the school year."

I narrow my eyes. "Okay. Since when have Renee and her sister ever been close?"

It's true - from what little I can remember, they had parted their separate ways quite some time ago. Over what exactly, I was never really sure. Different lifestyle choices? I think that's the vague excuse my recollection provides me with. When Renee left Charlie and took me along, I couldn't recall a single time throughout my childhood that my mother ever picked up a phone, bought a plane ticket for a visit, or even bothered mentioning her sister Vivian's name. Like I said, what little memory I have of her is accredited to my summer visits with Charlie. I recall she had been just as acquainted with the Blacks as we had been and we still are, along with another Quileute family from the La Push reservation. The Uleys, maybe? That part of my memory is a little rusty. Anyway, for some reason and despite the estrangement, dad still remains fond of Vivian. He never has a bad word to say against her.

Charlie just shrugs. "I guess things change."

"Forget it!" I protest, finally lifting myself off the bed and heading to my closet to keep myself distracted with making a selection on what to wear today. "There's no way I'm spending all my time in Port Angeles with nothing to do."

"Nothing to do?" my father mocks. "You'll be closer to the city again?!" he attempts to compare it to my childhood spent growing up in Phoenix. "Don't knock it until you've tried it," my father pushes. "Besides," he pauses. "It's not like I'm really giving you a choice."

I spin around to glare at him.

"You need a fresh start," he lifts his hands in defense. "It's senior year - you should be out there living it up a little. Going out with friends, looking forward to those first baby steps of independence when going away to college," he just starts listing these things off the top of his head. "Meeting new guys?!" he treads that last suggestion very lightly. When he realizes he's not getting anywhere with me on that one, he continues. "Alright, well, senior prom then."

I give him a dead serious look. "Dad?! I hate dances."

He knows that.

"Yeah, well, considering how the last one turned out, I can't say that I blame 'ya," he counters, making my memory recall a moment in time that makes my heart squeeze for what I can no longer have in the present.

Eh.

Why did he have to go and bring that up for?

Of course, I realize he's referring to the broken leg and cast incident; however, the injury did offer me a huge reprieve in the dancing department. Besides, the best part of the night had only been Edward's company. If only he had been willing to change me that night then I wouldn't be in this mess right now. And then, without intending to reflect on it, my brief dance with Jacob also flashes into my mind. However, I don't have much time to think on it for too long because Charlie is primed and ready to jump right back in and defend his decision.

"Bells, I'm not kicking you out. Just finish out the school year there - see how things go for a little while."

"Dad, I don't want to switch schools! It's like, almost the middle of the school year now and besides, I already did that last year," I continue to protest, which I pretty much suspect, fell on deaf ears.

"Nobody said anything about having to switch schools, Bells," Charlie retorts. "This is still listed as your main residence just think of it like a little vacation. A chance to take some time and sort things out. Get some of your priorities in order. A change of scenery. Come back and visit me on the weekends. You don't have to take everything with you. Besides," he stammers this next part, almost sounding embarrassed by his next admission, "maybe another woman around the house would be better cut out for all that ... _guy drama _you've been dealing with lately."

_Guy drama? _

Okay, I'm really trying to force myself not to think about how Charlie perceives my single status. How simplistic and unrefined of a way to sum up my loss over Edward? No, this had nothing to do with typical guy drama, I mentally argue. Typical guy drama is that _egg-head_, Mike Newton, without a date on a Friday night. His and Jessica's on-again off-again status is enough to drive anyone mental. Someone please fix him up and please do it fast because I don't know how much longer I can politely brush off his unwanted advances without going completely postal on him. It's not the first time I've seriously considered quitting my after school job over him. Man, if only Charlie had a single clue about anything in that department.

"But who's gonna' cook the meals around here?"

"Bells, I made out fine long before you were here - I'll be fine again."

"Dad?"

"Bella, you're stalling. I still know how to use a microwave" he cracks. "Besides, you can save those exceptional cooking skills of yours for those meals on the weekends," he winks at me.

I groan. "But dad, that's like a forty minute drive to and from school every single day. Do you have any idea how early I'm going to have to get up just to be on time every morning? Seriously, do you?"

"Then I'd set my alarm clock," he nods back at me in a mocking gesture. He makes a move to leave my room but then stops and turns back around. "Let me put it to you this way," he concludes. "Either we're driving into Port Angeles and we're moving you in with your Aunt? Or, we're driving in there to board you on a plane!" he stresses. "And yes," he nods at me, "the ticket's already been bought and paid for. Courtesy of Phil and Renee. Either way, we're making a trip into Port Angeles no later than twenty more minutes. So I'd get to packing."

That was Charlie's final word on the matter.

"I thought I had an hour?"

Charlie stares me down with one of his looks.

"Right," I give in with a fake smile. "Twenty minutes. Packed and ready to go to Aunt Vivian's."

"Right," he nods back, a smug smile in place.

He won this one.

So going to live in Port Angeles might suck but it was definitely a step up from going back to live in Jacksonville. I shifted everything around inside my closet for my bags and begrudgingly got to work with my packing.

**(-v-)**

I hear voices coming from outside while haling my three heavy bags down the staircase. Charlie is waiting for me out there and I'm pretty sure the other voice is Billy Black. But what was he doing here now - I thought dad said he wasn't expecting him until around noon? After leaving my bags stranded on the floor inside the hallway located just a few feet away from the front door, I wander over to the bay window that is located in our living room and take a quick peek outside.

Yup.

Billy Black. But he wasn't alone. Someone was with him.

Jacob.

My eyes do a double take because he almost looks unrecognizable to me. Because either my distant friend has just undergone a serious growth spurt or he's the newest poster boy for "on steroids." He is now built - and when I say that, it's no exaggeration, I mean he's drastically built with alot more muscle. No one would take him for a boy of sixteen especially when basing his new "look" off of the last time we hung out together. Which, sadly, is quite some time ago. Three or four months maybe? Dad has been going back and forth to Billy's alot, instead of the other way around, which usually is when I get to see Jacob on visits. Much like now, it was still part of the time during those first few months after Edward disappeared and when I was left alone to myself, trying to mend a broken heart that just wouldn't mend.

He is over by the truck - inspecting it.

A fresh wave of cool air hits my face as I step out of the door and under the cloudy sky.

"Hey, hands off, Jake!" I tease from my place on the stairs. "I promise I've been taking real good care of her!" and I struggle with my three bags. One is slung over my right shoulder, the second bag held in my hand, while the third one I'm attempting to drag along behind me. Yes, I'll admit it. I think I went a little overboard. After all, Charlie did tell me that I could still come home for the weekends.

At the sound of my voice - Jacob immediately halts what he's doing and glances over my way.

"Bella!" a huge grin breaks across his face.

Wow, so I take notice that his voice now sounds deeper too. What, did Quileute boys get like a second chance at puberty or something? Granted, a much better chance, I have to conclude. It's weird to think about but Jake is already looking and sounding like a man. And at the pathetic sight of me attempting to manage all of my bags at once, Jacob reacts and rushes over to assist me.

"Here, I got those for you," he immediately reaches out for them.

"Uh, yeah, thanks," I blush, feeling slightly embarrassed as Jacob brushes against my side when reaching behind me to pick up the bag I've been dragging out the front door. With ease, he also grabs a hold of the one I have slung over my shoulder, lifts it off, and then reaches for the last bag I'm still holding in my hand.

My eyes travel down to meet Billy's. "Hey there, Bella," he greets me with a nod of his head.

"Hey," I return with a quick wave.

Jacob walks the bags to the truck - swiftly depositing them inside of the rear of the old red pick-up.

"So, I hear from Charlie here, that you're taking a little break for awhile," Billy inquires.

"Yeah, I guess so," I nervously brush a loose strand of hair back behind my ear.

Billy nods. "Probably for the best."

It's no secret to me that Jake's dad is not fond of the Cullen's. I've known about this fact long before the time Edward even left. The constant hints he has dropped during visitations here, leading all the way up to the time when he paid Jacob to attend my school dance and warn me off. Not to mention, the one time I was found in the woods that fateful night. Afterwards, I came to learn that some of the Quileutes had thrown bonfires in celebration regarding the news of the Cullen departure.

I move to walk down the steps, shoving my hands into my back pockets as I make my way down. I glance back over at Jake as I do. Of course, stupid me, not paying attention to what I should have been paying attention to (okay, so I admit it - I think I was modestly leering at Jake a little longer than necessary) - I miss the crack that's embedded deeply within the cement of the walkway. As I continue on my journey down, I go toppling over face-first when the front end of my shoe catches inside it. My immediate thought: Somebody please just shoot me now. Both Charlie and Jacob immediately rush over to assist me, and before I can protest and insist that I'm fine, they each hoist me back up before I even have the chance to register how exactly it happened. I do feel the new burning sensation running over my palms and after glancing down at them, I decide that I don't know which looks more red: the blood-tinted scrapes covering them or the beet-colored expression I'm sure is covering my face.

I try to forget that I see the blood.

"Whoa there. Sorry about that, Bells," Charlie is quick to apologize on my behalf. "I didn't even see that there when I came out. I'll have to get someone out here to take care of it."

"I'm fine, dad. Really, no problem." I brush down over my clothes to straighten them back out.

A light smirk forms around the corners of Jake's mouth. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asks me.

I glance over at him. He still has a firm hold on my left arm. He loosens it though when he notices the red marks now covering my palms. Then he reaches out and gently takes a hold of one hand.

"Ouch," he remarks.

A warm finger glides over the center of my palm but instead of pain - I feel a jolt of something else; something unfamiliar and unexpected. It makes me feel nervous and unsure so I quickly pull my hand out from his. Goosebumps form on my arms. I try hard not to look down; however, it's a feeble effort because a very clear image of red dances across my vision. A slight queasiness takes over my senses; however, I forcefully will it away. It's just a little bit of blood, I try and reason with myself. I went through worse with James and Victoria last year. I still hate the sight and smell of it so I have to force myself not to reach out and grab a hold of Jake's arm when the dizzy spell hits. Quickly, I jam my eyes closed, take a deep breath, and attempt to distract myself by engaging in some more casual conversation. I open my eyes back up and look directly over at Jacob.

"Yeah, well, I guess it could have been worse," I shrug. "Ya' know?"

It works.

"Hm," he makes a pretense at thinking it over in front of me. "Probably," he finally decides to agree with me.

I use my shoulder to playfully knock against him but I find it's almost an impossible feat to accomplish. He barely budges at all. "Okay, you weren't actually supposed to agree with me there, you know that, right? And, hey, you want the real truth, Jake, I'm mortified, okay?! There!" I laugh it off.

Jacob grins wider, shoving his hands into his pockets. I return his grin with a small smile of my own and the uneasy feeling from seconds ago completely fades into the background. However, my attention is quickly brought back over to Jake's dad who cuts in and offers the repair service to Charlie.

"Some of the boys back on the res are good with that sort of thing. I'll get a group of them together to come out here and get it done for you."

"Thanks, Billy, that would be great," Charlie accepts. He scratches his head, obviously returning to the discussion they were engaging in prior to me walking out here and humiliating myself. "And, hey, I'm really sorry we got our times crossed," he reiterates, probably what he already expressed before I came out here and made a fool of myself once again in my short and boring life as Bella Swan.

Well - boring before Forks. After that, I became even more of a danger magnet than I already was.

"Hey, it's not that big of a deal, old man," Billy teases my father, rolling his chair backwards in the direction of his own car that Jake drove him here in. "Those fish will be running when they see us coming no matter what day it is."

Charlie's cell rings interrupting the playful banter. "Chief Swan?"

Jacob and I wander over toward my truck until we're both leaning back against it. We're standing side-by-side.

"So?" Jake attempts to break into some more conversation. "Long time no see?" He pauses. "What have you been up to anyway?"

"Um, yeah, I know," I nod my head quickly, swallowing over the lump forming in my throat. Why do I suddenly feel this nervous talking to him alone? It's only Jake. "Just been dealing with uh, stuff, you know?" a flash him a quick smile.

"Sure, sure."

He shifts his gaze down towards the ground. Is he feeling nervous too? Okay, this eerie tension-filled moment is just beyond ridiculous; it's got to go. Get a grip, Bella - I try berating myself. After all, the way I'm standing here and acting you'd think I've never talked with a boy before or that Jake and I were on some awkward first date or something along that line. It's just Jake! And I'm Bella. We've spent tons of time alone together in Charlie's house ever since my move back here and more importantly - we're old childhood friends.

"But, hey, look at you!" I announce happily, waving towards his chest. I try to keep my tone light. "Getting yourself all hot and buff just to come out here and see boring ole' me, huh?" I tease him. "I'm flattered." A little innocent banter between old friends should do the trick.

Or not.

Because the moment those words leave my mouth, I swear I see something else flicker behind Jake's eyes. But it's so brief and gone before I have enough time to even reflect on what that something was, that I quickly place it into the overactive imagination category. He gazes down at his chest, which is hidden under a tight fitting, sea-green, colored tee.

"Well, _you know_," he stresses, deliberately mocking the phrase I happened to have overused excessively in the short span of about five minutes. "All that hard work and lifting at the res gym had to pay off sometime," he flexes his upperarms to demonstrate.

"Gym? La Push has it's own private gym now?" I can't help it; I throw him a look full of skepticism.

He keeps a serious face for a moment. Then he breaks into a laugh, clearly amused.

"Exclusive membership only," he cracks. "No pale-faces allowed," he winks at me, nudges me gently with his arm, and of course, now, it's completely obvious to me that he's just messing around.

This wouldn't be the first time that my extremely white, pasty complexion became the bud of his jokes. But I know he means no real offense by it. So - if it is just a joke and there have been no real work-out sessions, how did he get so - abbed up?! I laugh in response to his joke, though, depsite myself.

"Okay, Jake. Great - I can see you're turning into a real ladies man," I roll my eyes at him.

"Ah, I don't need them all," he brushes it off with a light laugh this time, thrusting his hands back into the pockets of his jeans. "Just one." I can tell he makes sure to place his eyes directly on me to drive the point home.

I break eye contact and avert my gaze to the ground. Clearly, even though he has been passing everything off as a joke so far, I can still detect that he was reading me for my reaction into that last hidden implication. However, this isn't the first time he insinuates something of that nature - the memory of my school dance last spring quickly jumps into my mind for the second or third time this morning. I tighten up because I realize I can't get around it as easily as the last time. Last year at the dance, what Jake had expressed to me was true. He wanted what was already 'taken.' And I was 'taken' in the sense that only Edward mattered - he held my heart and no one else could. Now? Well, I don't know how I should consider myself. Used, broken, and sent in for repairs, maybe? Jake will totally get the car analogy if I ever have to explain it to him. However, I'm saved from worrying about having to go down that road any further because my attention falls back on the end of Charlie's very intense conversation. Jacob's focus also shifts to the same direction and he, too, catches the last few words out of my father's mouth.

"I'll be there. Ten minutes. Bye." Charlie is now looking extremely pale and worried.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Bells, I'm real sorry to do this, but do you think you can make that drive out to Port Angeles by yourself?" he asks me. "This one's pretty bad."

Ah - work. Of course.

"What happened?" Jake inquires beside me.

Charlie looks between Billy, Jake, and then over to me. He sighs. "Well, you know all those random hikers that have been found dead?"

We all nod. "Yeah," I confirm.

He sighs wearily. "They found an entire family this morning. Campers - a couple and their three children."

I involuntarily flinch when he reveals that information.

"Another animal attack?" Jake's brows crease together. "Aren't they getting closer and closer to Forks?"

"It looks that way, son," Charlie sighs.

It doesn't go completely unnoticed by me that Billy remains completely stoic regarding the news. His eyes meet with mine and lock briefly but I quickly look back towards my father.

"And I got to get going," Charlie sighs again and I can just feel the tension in the air. "Where they found the bodies, it falls right on the borderline of Forks. My jurisdiction - so you know the drill. They need me to get down there."

I go completely rigid when I recall the real cause of the last so-called animal attacks in the Forks area - vampires. Could there be more? Has Victoria finally returned to seek revenge against Edward over the death of James? A slight feeling of nausea creeps into my stomach as I contemplate the likelihood and the extent of my culpability in the deaths of these poor innocent people. After all, had it not been for James tracking me, which in turn lead to his demise - Victoria would never even have had a reason to return.

I close my eyes briefly and release a deep breath.

"Bells?!"

My eyes fly back open and then I quickly realize my father is awaiting my reassurance. "Yeah, dad, it's fine - I can make it there on my own."

Charlie originally planned to follow me to Port Angeles in his Cruiser. "I can write you up a set of directions. Just to be safe - so you don't get lost out there."

It's probably the wrong time to feel relief but it washes over me regardless. I wasn't looking forward to finding myself standing smack dab in the middle of an awkward reunion while being reacquainted with a distant Aunt, and quite possibly, having to endure my father rehash everything about Edward and my entire time in Forks while they're standing right there with me. Granted, I'm sure she was already made aware of the situation but I would still like to ward off any possible embarrassing confrontations for as long as humanly possible. Plus, I could really use the car ride to be alone and to think in peace without Charlie hovering close by - even if it was from the distance in a different car.

"Actually, Chief Swan, I don't mind taking a ride with her," Jake volunteers from out of nowhere. "I'll make sure she gets there safe."

Or maybe not.

Jacob takes me completely off guard.

"I mean," Jake quickly jumps back in, "if it's alright with Bella."

He looks to me.

Damn. I wasn't getting out of this one as easily as I thought. He just waits patiently for my response.

"Jake, you can't. There's no way for you to get back," I refute, applying simple logic. I don't want to be rude by rebuking Jacob's offer but I know I'm really not in the best mood for extended amounts of time with company right now.

"Not a problem," Jake counters with more than enough confidence for the both of us. "Whenever we get to where ever you're going, I can just call one of the guys. One of them will come and get me, they don't care."

However, before I could respectfully decline any further, Charlie jumps in and beats me to the punch. "Actually, Jake, if you could do that - that would be great," he offers in place of me. He catches the look I throw at him.

_Thanks, dad._

"Don't look at me like that, Bells," he defends his position. "I just feel better right now knowing that you're not driving those back roads alone without someone else with you. Especially, in light of this death toll picking up."

Well, maybe he had a point but still. I wasn't happy about the arrangement and I wanted to make sure he knew it.

"I don't need a babysitter."

"What is that death toll up to now, Charlie?" Billy suddenly pipes in from out of the blue. However, from out of my periphial vision, I catch him watching me closely before turning away.

"Eleven."

I realize that total is quite staggering. When I take a glance at Jacob, he appears a little dejected-looking compared to moments before and I can't help but notice how he is trying to avoid my stare. A heavy pang of guilt slices through me like a knife because my intention was never to hurt his feelings. However, it appeared as if that was exactly what I had accomplished doing. My wanting to be alone wasn't personal, I just wasn't up to the task of having to act like 'Miss Susie Sunshine.' Or being saddled with any job that involved entertaining friends in a way where I had to act like everything was great and normal with my life. But another look towards Jake and I'm right back to feeling guilty. After all, he is only offering to do what any decent friend would do.

_Good job, Bella._

"Fine," I decide to relent for Jake's benefit, as well as Charlie's. "If it makes you happy, Jacob can ride with me there."

"Yes, absolutely, it would make me feel better," Charlie nods.

Then I remember something else. Jacob drove his father here. "But what about Billy?" I suddenly pop out with.

"Oh, don't you worry a thing about this old-timer, Bella," Billy Black cracks. "You just go on and get going to wherever it is you need to be getting off to. I'll find another way back. Jake, here, can just pick up my truck later on after he gets back," he nods to Jacob. "Right, son?"

"I'll take care of it," Jacob agrees.

"Good," Billy accepts.

"I can drop Billy back off at home before I meet up with the rangers," Charlie volunteers. "La Push isn't too far out of my way."

"Alrighty, then. It's settled." Billy wheels himself over towards the Cruiser. "You two kids better get going," he calls over his shoulder. "Bella, don't be a stranger, now," he addresses me one final time.

"Bye," I throw back, an uneasy smile in place.

As Charlie assists Billy in getting ready to leave, I turn and make my way over to the other side of the truck as Jacob enters on the passenger's side. After securing myself inside and buckling my seat belt, I start the ignition and double pump the clutch just like Jake taught me. I look over at Jacob who is in the middle of securing his own seat belt. He doesn't look at me. A few seconds later, Charlie knocks against the window and I roll it down.

"Here, just in case," he hands me a small piece of paper with writing on it. I notice it's the directions he promised me. "Bye, now. Drive safely."

"Bye, dad."

He waves as I roll my window back up. I can tell by the dark clouds hovering above us in the sky that another rainstorm is definitely brewing on the horizon. After backing out of the driveway, I turn and head down the road that will take me to my new destination. I take another glance over in Jake's direction, who refuses to look back. Neither of us utter a single word to the other as I continue down the long highway. A few seconds later, my windshield is splattering with water rivulets.

Yep.

I think it's safe to assume that more rain is definitely in the forecast. Not that_ that _is unusual or anything - at least not for Forks.

I flip the switch and the windshield wipers squeak to life.

* * *

**A/N: **Don't worry, peeps. Jake and Bells will eventually move past the awkward tension, lol. Anyway, drop those reviews if you can. I love to hear what you think about everything so far.

This is my first **Twilight **fic, hehe.


	3. This Little Ride of Mine

**A/N:** New Chapter. Please enjoy and don't forget to review. Oh, and thanks to the few of you who took the time to review for the last two chapters and to let me know what you thought. I really appreciate your feedback **(*smiles*).**

* * *

**Chapter Two: This Little Ride of Mine**

**(BPOV)**

Twenty minutes.

I glance down at the digital clock display, showcased on the new sound system Emmett installed for my birthday this year, and account for the length of time we'd been driving down this long stretch of highway. I quickly ponder why I haven't just torn the stupid thing out. First of all, I hate gifts, everyone and their mother just about knows that. The Cullen's certainly know it, or should I say - they _knew_ it. Last but not least, it's not like I need anymore reminders of a life that's supposed to never have existed in the first place.

_It will be as if I've never even existed. _

Edward's words; not mine.

We leave Charlie's house and in all that time not one word passes between Jacob and I. At first, I'm glad for the drawn out silence, I figure I don't have to play hostess after all. I assume I can just use the time and commit myself to some personal reflection without any distractions. However, in all honesty, I already reach a place, say maybe about fifteen minutes ago, where I just really want to break the ice and put an end to this awful awkwardness that springs up between us. I want peace and quiet but that's not what I get. But I have no idea how to get rid of the awkward tension. Instead, we just sit next to each other and continue to pass by nothing else except rows of green trees that stretch for miles on end down the highway while Jacob stares out the window. The dead silence during this car ride is stifling - too stifling. Quickly, I try for the good friend, quick-fix approach. I attempt to get Jacob talking with just the right touch of a little old- fashioned humor.

"Kay' Jake, seriously, I'm going to venture a pretty good guess and say that if the scenery hasn't changed by now, then it's never going to." I make it a point to laugh after these words leave my mouth.

"Not really a big deal to me," he breaths out almost under his breath.

Okay. Well, that was utter fail.

Strike one.

"Jake, talk to me. Are you okay about before?" I give in and broach the subject.

He nods his head. "Yup."

More awkward silence takes up the space between us. He didn't even bother to look at me with his one-worded response. I let some more time pass as I contemplate whether or not I should be the one to continue next; however, before I can get anything out my mouth - he opens back up first.

"You know, Bella, if you really didn't want me to come along, you could have just said so. I could have handled the truth." He sighs and I can detect rejection in his tone. "The _'Jacob won't be able to get back'_ line was more than a little obvious," he stresses. "And lame," he adds.

There it is. The truth from Jacob's mouth to my ears.

I tap my fingers against the wheel. "Right. So, like I said, are you okay?" I repeat, more to myself this time rather than him. "And quite obviously the answer to that is no."

What do I say to him now to turn this whole mess around?

He looks at me but this time his tone is softer. "No, I guess I'm not."

"Sorry," I offer up. I realize it's the only real sincere thing I can say. "I wasn't going for _obvious_ or anything like that," I rush to explain myself, in regards to the lame excuse I came up with to keep him from coming with me. Which in hindsight, did appear quite obvious on the surface. I sigh. "It's just me right now - I'm going through some ... stuff," I settle on. "It's not you, I swear."

He may not believe it but it's the truth. It's not him - I'd make for lousy company with anyone on this long ride out to Port Angeles. If Charlie didn't plan on driving out here in his Cruiser and was sharing the same car with me, I'm sure I would have given him a healthy dose of my unhappy attitude. I'm still peeved at him for conspiring with Renee and coming up with this little arrangement behind my back. And then springing it on me out of nowhere? Ugh. But Jacob? He doesn't really deserve any of my wrath, no matter how crappy I'm feeling, so taking it out on him does seem completely unfair.

"Ah, right." He doesn't sound convinced. "The good ole' _'It's not you, it's me'_ card," he cracks. "Very original." He flicks, what I presume is his tongue against the inside his mouth, and I overhear the sound.

I feel bad. "No Jake, for real. Trust me when I say I haven't been very good company lately. And I just thought I'd spare you the agony of enduring my appalling mood swings. Believe me, I'm not much fun to be around these days," I try to make light of it but fail.

The sound in my voice must catch Jake's attention, because for the first time during this trip, he turns to look at me with something akin to sympathy flashing through his eyes. I drop one hand from the wheel and take some deep, steady breaths to calm down. I force the bad memories away relating to Edward and that fateful night and try to focus my energy on something else. It's then that I feel the warm sensation of skin-to-skin contact. Glancing down, I notice that Jake has reached over and taken my hand into his. We are now holding hands but I don't pull away. Actually, a part of me welcomes the unexpected feeling of comfort it brings. I experience a calm that falls over me that I haven't really been able to feel in a long time now.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Really," I reinforce. "And I'm glad you came along - talking to someone is actually kind of nice."

Jake smirks. "Yeah, sure. What has it been for us - about two minutes?"

True. We've spent most of this ride so far enduring nothing but the agonizing silence surrounding us. But that fact aside, I find that what I have just expressed to Jake isn't just being said for his benefit. Talking to someone besides Charlie for once does, in fact, feel good. After Edward left, I barricaded myself inside of the house and inside of my head - barely acknowledging Charlie unless I had to do it and cutting off most contact with friends from school.

They must all think I'm insane.

"Sorry," I reiterate. I'm at a loss for words.

"Bells, you didn't hurt my feelings," he relents. I know he's just saying it to make me feel better though. So I throw him a knowing look and he smiles. "Well, okay, maybe a little," he admits with somewhat of a smug grin in place. "But don't worry. I've got a whole bunch of ways lined up right up in here," he points to his temple, "for you to make it up to me in due time."

"Right," I reply with some unease. I pull my hand away.

I don't really know how to take what Jacob means by that statement. I mean, is he forgiving me? Or just playing along for my benefit? While I'm pondering it, that horrible and very awkward silence returns and more minutes tick away while I grasp for straws.

What should I do? What else should I say to him?

I come up with option number two. Try going in for a little more casual conversation, I tell myself. "So, um ..." I stumble over my words for a moment, "how is the car building coming along?" I venture.

He sighs. "It's coming," follows his very vague response.

I wait a couple of seconds giving him the opportunity to expand on that some more so that it will give us both something to talk about. When he doesn't, I push further.

"And?"

His facial expression shifts into one of disbelief as his brows furrow. "And do you honestly even care?" A hint of a small smile breaks through. "Since when are you into cars, Bella?" He almost sounds amused by the idea.

"Um, since now," I playfully suggest with a smirk.

"Right." The grin widens. "Okay ..." he stammers. "Well, the Rabbit is actually almost done. It took me awhile but a few more tweaks here and there and I'll have that baby up and running before you can blink." He stops to think for a second. "Hey, didn't we have this conversation like, months ago? You always zoned when I started talking 'cars.' I can't even believe you remember me mentioning the Rabbit?" his amusement shifts into surprise.

"Hm," I hum. "Photographic memory."

"Ah, right," he plays along. "Kind of goes hand-in-hand with your natural knack at universal clumsiness. If I'm not mistaken, I think today was the sixth time - total, that you've fallen in my presence," he teases.

I laugh but I still feel embarrassed. "Jake, shut-up! So not funny."

"The photographic memory part or the part where you usually end up flat on your face instead of on your feet?" he boldly asserts, ignoring my protest.

"Okay," I point my finger at him, "I'll have you know that even Charlie said he didn't see that crack in the cement."

"Okay," he continues, clearly enjoying the care-free banter. "You get a free pass for today. But five bucks says you won't last the day before you stub a toe or walk into the nearest fire-hydrant on the city street."

"Ha ha," I deliver with heavy sarcasm. "Change of subject, please."

"Joking," he stifles a laugh. " I'll stop," he brings his hands up in defeat.

"Thank you."

"And, by the way, I never zoned out," I deny the former allegation. "I always listened to what you had to say."

Jacob just laughs some more. A few moments pass and he shifts the topic of conversation. "But, uh, I actually have a new project in store now."

"Which is?"

"Well, Embry and I haled out some old discarded motorcycles and their parts from the junk yard and thought we'd piece them back together ourselves. I mean, they do ultimately cost more to repair then what they're really worth but, hey, I'm always up for a challenge."

"And to show off your mad auto skills," I tease.

This time his grin is more relaxed, more natural-looking. "Always." He pauses, looking as if he's contemplating something. "And actually, I just figured out how you can really make it up to me."

"And what's that?" I laugh. Surprisingly, I find this interaction is making me feel more relaxed too.

Thank god we broke that barrier, I praise.

"How you can make it up to me," he needles again, stressing the point on purpose. I can tell he's having fun with this and he goes in for the kill. "You know, for stomping all over my poor devoted heart and then attempting to spare my feelings when we both _know_," he stresses, "that you really wanted to be on this little joy-ride of yours all by yourself. Not that this is really a joy-ride if you want the truth."

"Okay?" I play along. "How I'm suppose to make it up to you?"

"Hard labor, Swan! Hours and hours of hard labor!"

I burst out laughing. He laughs too.

"Hey, and when they're done, maybe we can ride them together."

"Let me get this straight?" I double-check just to make sure I've correctly understood what he's implied. "You want me to come out to La Push and help you put back together a couple of junk bikes, that according to your own description, have seen better days?"

"They're not junk."

"Are too. You said so yourself," I argue.

"No, no, no, no," his heavy accentuated mantra follows. "What I said was that we retrieved them from an actual_ junk _yard, Bells, not that the parts in question, were themselves, actually junk."

"Whatever," I shake my head. He lost me back at the junk-yard part but he still makes me laugh regardless. "No, I don't think so," I decline. "I'll pass." I reward him with a smirk this time.

"Oh, c'mon," he presses. "You can do it." However, I can tell he stops to seriously reconsider the proposition. "Or, well, you can sit and watch. Pass me the tools or something - keep me in good company. You do, at least, know what a socket wrench is, right, Bells?" his tone comes across like he's trying to deliberately mock me there but I know he's just kidding around.

"Uh, maybe."

He throws me a glare. It makes me laugh again.

"Kidding. Yes, I know what a socket wrench is, Jacob," I defend. "Contrary to common belief around Forks, I'm not completely mechanically impaired."

A cocky smirk falls over his lips. "Sure, sure."

"I'm serious," and my tone reflects how dead serious I am. "Don't make fun. Or you and your motorcycles are all on your own."

"Okay," he accepts and does so a little too quickly in my estimation. I can tell the wheels in his brain are already spinning. "Good to know. Next Saturday. Noon. In the garage. It's a date," Jacob sets the time and place.

"A date?"

"Well ... yeah," Jake mulls it over. "And I'd say you're getting a pretty good bargain too. I mean, a date lasting an entire Saturday - watching me for free?"

"What?" I'm incredulous. "Cocky, much, Jake? And if sitting around watching you work on scrape metal is considered hard, manual labor, then I'd really like to know what you'd have me do on my day off."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he lifts his brow.

It's clear he's flirting a bit but I take it in stride as some more harmless fun. However, behind the humor, something in my gut tells me that Jake might be a little more serious about it than I am.

"Yeah, okay, fine," I roll my eyes.

"Good." He seems pleased with my acceptance.

"But what about Embry?" I instantly recall but regret it when I catch the sour expression that crosses Jake's face. "Didn't you just say it was a project that the two of you were planning on doing together?"

"Yeah, well, Embry can't make it."

"Why not?"

Jacob heaves a heavy sigh. "Well, for starters, he's never around anymore," he relays to me. He sounds quite bitter about it too.

When Jake doesn't elaborate, I drop the subject.

**(-v-)**

We pass a posted sign found on the side of the highway and it informs us that we are now entering Port Angeles. The small city isn't completely foreign to me, after all, I had come out here last year with Jessica and Angela. My two friends had gone shopping for dresses, excited about a school dance that I had no intentions of attending until Edward convinced me it was beneficial for me. He wanted me to experience anything he seemed to prerequisite as normal for a human life. Also, sometime during the ride, Jake's and my hand linked back together again.

"Okay, I'm getting off at the light," I tell Jacob. "And I remember something about two rights and an intersection but I completely forgot after that," I inform him and await further instructions.

Jacob is holding up the directions Charlie gave to me. Of course, I'm the designated driver so Jake immediately took over as the designated _map coordinator_. However, for all the good it's been doing us because it's been twice already that I've had to retrieve the directions back from him after two failed attempts at reading it correctly. When I look back over again, I catch him holding the paper close to his face again. His eyes are squinting against it.

"Bells, no offense to Charlie, but his writing sucks!" he tells me.

"It's not the writing, I think you just need glasses." I attempt to reach out and grab the directions from him but he's quicker.

"No. Trust me - it's the writing."

"Jake, c'mon," I plead with him. "Please?" my hand is still reaching out for the piece of paper. "We're almost to the intersection. Actually, I think we're hitting Front and Laurel right now."

My eyes take in the sight of the downtown area that surrounds me. The view of the mountains looms before us - they appear to be embracing the city, and the harbor is also close by. People are walking the city sidewalks, hustling and bustling to get to where they need to be, and we pass by what looks to be like a scattered selection of restaurants, an array of shops, and an assortment of banks.

"Alright, alright. I think it says to take the next left onto Lincoln," he asserts. "And from there, we should be able to cross to where your Aunt lives. Do you see a sign for S. (South) Lincoln anywhere?" he lifts his head and looks around.

"Uh - no."

He looks over to me.

"We're suppose to be looking for S. (South) Peabody Street," I stress. "Not Lincoln and whatever."

"Well, Bells," he begins slowly. "We need to get onto Lincoln Street first," he draws out his words - like I'm an idiot or something. He continues. "Then we can cut over to E. (East) 4th Street to get to there."

"Would you let me see that, please?" I reach over and finally succeed in grabbing the paper from out of Jacob's hands.

"Bells, I know what I'm talking about, okay?" he shakes his head.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Uh, no you don't. How many times now have you already made reference to Charlie's inferior handwriting? Three? Four?"

Alright, I'm the first to cop out to it and admit it. We are beginning to sound like the cliche married couple arguing over which one of us knows where they're going and if we should stop for proper directions any time soon.

"Okay, granted, his writing does suck. But," he stresses, "I can read street signs," he points to one found on the street we're now on. "Apparently, an ability you haven't mastered yet because that sign says we're on Lauridsen Blvd. Not Front or Laurel." He snorts. "Where exactly did you get off again?"

I'm clearly frustrated now. Jake's right, we're lost. "No, no, no, " I groan, pounding on the steering wheel. Another look at Jacob tells me that he's more amused, rather than annoyed, by the situation I've gotten us into. "Okay, okay," I relent. "Those directions totally suck!"

"Thank you," he boasts.

"So what do we do, then? We need to stop and ask someone now because we are completely lost."

"You got off at the Turnpike?" he ignores the suggestion.

"Yeah. I think so."

"We can always turn around and retrace our steps. Maybe get back on and find the exit we were suppose to get off at?"

I look at him like he just told me the sky is showering us with diamonds and rubies. "Jake, I wouldn't even know were to turn us back around to." I shake my head in frustration. "Why don't we just stop and ask someone like I suggested because I think that's the best idea."

Of course, the longer Jake and I argue back and forth, the more precious time that is wasted and we find ourselves forking onto another street.

"Jake, I'm stopping."

However, I take our surroundings in and suddenly wish I followed my instincts back when I wanted to do it because this certainly didn't appear to be the type of neighborhood anybody wanted to get lost in, unless of course, suicide or gang initiation were their ultimate goals in life. Jake must have taken notice of this too because the next sassy remark comes flying out of his mouth.

"Uh, be my guest," he snickers. "Where did you have in mind?"

I move to pull my truck over to the side of the street when a serious look replaces the snide expression on Jacob's face. If he thinks I'm kidding, he has another thing coming. We can't just keep driving around like this.

"Bells, forget it," he demands. "There's no way I'm letting you get out here."

"Yes, I am," I stubbornly persist.

"Fine, if you want to stop, we'll stop - but keep going until we find a place that's safer!" his tone rises a notch.

I give in and step on the gas. "Jacob, I swear, the next heavily-populated, consumer area that I see we are asking someone for their help!"

Without giving it much conscious thought, I pick up the speed; however, I'm so engrossed in the moment and getting to somewhere for proper directions that I hardly register the loud popping sound that shakes the truck and then sends us swerving back and forth.

"Crap!" I shout out as Jake grabs a hold of the truck to keep his balance. "What the hell was that?" I grind out through some clenched teeth.

"Just pull it over. Now."

I quickly do as Jake instructs and pull over to the side of the road and then kill the ignition completely. Both Jacob and I jump out of the truck to locate the source of the problem. Clearly, Jake already suspects what I do because he's already out of the truck and standing next to me on my side. He squats down in front of me to inspect the front tire and discovers what we both feared.

"Oh yeah, it's definitely a goner," Jacob sighs - lightly hitting the top of the truck after standing back up.

"Great," I huff, rolling my eyes. The tire is losing air at a rapid rate - it almost looks completely flat. We ran over something but I just didn't know what.

"No problem," he assures me. "Just grab me the jack and I'll get the spare."

Right. The spare. That would be an excellent idea, I thought to myself - if I actually had a spare. I raise my brows and throw Jacob a look that prompts his next question.

"You. Do. Have. The. Spare."

"Um, correction. I did have the spare," I inform him of just how screwed we actually are out here. "I used it during the summer when I popped the back one," I confess, thinking of the time I had driven my truck out to the Cullen's house but had encountered a nasty run in with some broken beer bottles. The pieces had been shattered across the back road leading to their house - probably by hikers in the area.

Jacob laughs. But he's far from amused. "You're kidding, right?"

"Does it look like I'm laughing, Jake?" I push against his chest and then move around him to the sidewalk.

"Let me get this straight," he follows me. "You use up the spare but never replace that one with a new one?"

"Look, it was an accident, alright? I was just visiting ... " my voice trails off and I close my eyes, shaking my head and the thoughts away.

However, Jake's curious and not about to let it go. "Visiting who?"

"Never mind."

"What, you can't tell me who you were visiting?" he pushes. He sounds a little put off by that idea. "What's the big secret?"

I pace a safe distance away from him. "Jake, just drop it, okay? It's not like that - it's just ... " but I trail off again not sure how to explain it. I plop down on the edge of the sidewalk, right on the curb, trying to reel in my raging emotions; however, Jake remains standing behind me.

"Is it because it was that Cullen guy you were seeing?"

I can't see his face but the sound of his voice tells me everything I need to imagine on how his expression looks right now. The outright forwardness that accompanies his presumption floors me for a minute, even if he is right, but then I quickly recover from it. My hesitation appears to answer his question for him though.

"I'm right, huh?"

I still don't give him a verbal confirmation. He's treading into uncharted territory that I'm not ready to explore with anyone yet.

"Bella?!" he moves to sit beside me and takes my hand back into his. His eyes bore into mine before he continues. "Listen," a sigh follows. "Most of us were there waiting the night Sam found you and brought you back," he reminds me with a serious look covering his face. His words are full of passion - he feels everything that he's saying. "You know, while you were still unconscious and Sam was carrying you back home, he said you called out _his_ name a few times." There was a bitter edge to his tone. "What exactly happened?"

Okay. Why was he so intent on pushing this?

"Jake? Don't do this, okay? Please?!" I plead, momentarily taking my eyes away from the road and flashing the desperation found inside of them back into his. I want him to pick up on it and not cross the boundary I'm clearly begging him not to.

"Why?"

I can feel my body reacting as I begin to shake. I think for the first time, he really notices what kind of an effect this topic of discussion is having on me while he awaits my response. His hardened expression appears to soften.

"Because I'm just not ready to. That's why!"

He's quiet for a moment while he contemplates what I've said. "Okay," he answers me back.

He drops the subject but not my hand. I'm grateful that he doesn't push me any further on the issue because I know I am on the verge of breaking. However, I'm also glad that he hasn't pushed me away, period. I glance down again at our entwined hands but Jake catches me this time.

"But this is nice, right?" Jake asks in a much lighter tone. "I mean, it's okay - it's not too much?" He looks directly at me, but he looks at me in a way that if I tell him that it's not all right, he'll be crushed. "A friend can hold another friend's hand."

The last line is more of a statement rather than a question.

"Absolutely." I nod in agreement.

Jake smiles and he seems to relax. I smile back because it's not like I'm lying to him about that particular gesture. I do find a sense of comfort in letting him hold my hand. However, I just want to make sure he understands the implications - I don't want us to have any crossed or mixed signals between us.

"Good," he accepts.

Relief washes through me next. Now that we have that boundary established, perhaps a renewed friendship wouldn't be completely out of the question. I mean, baby steps, that's what Charlie said - right? It was a place to start and I was pleasantly surprised to note after thinking back, I really hadn't thought as much about Edward like other days. At least, I hadn't really thought of him until the wild animal attacks were mentioned back at Charlie's place or when Jacob inadvertantly brought up that specific night.

"Hey, look, we're in luck."

I look to see Jake nodding in a direction across the street. It's a little ways down but the promotion sign advertising it's business stands out.

"It's an auto shop," my eyes widen in surprise.

We both stand up to get a better look. Quickly, I rush back to the cab to retrieve my purse. Jacob wonders what I'm doing.

"What?"

"I've got cash on me," I let Jake know. "Hopefully, it's enough to get us the tire. We don't have to worry about labor costs since you can replace it for me and I'm here to assist."

Jake nods.

"Ready?" I ask.

"You can stay here if you want, Bells," Jake offers. "Just lock the doors and keep the windows up."

"No," I shake my head. "I'm coming with you."

"Suit yourself," he flashes me a slight smirk. "C'mon."

**(-v-)**

We cross the street and walk the stretch of sidewalk that eventually takes us to _Cappiello's Auto Repair_. We just ignore some of the creepy stares we get from a few scattered gangs; however, luckily none of them attempt to give us any trouble. I momentarily wonder if maybe Jacob had anything to do with that - his size surely outmatching any of theirs by most standards and they probably just figure it's not worth any of the trouble. Suddenly, I'm completely grateful for Jake's new-found stature. After reaching the front door and walking in, a bell chimes overhead and the sight of an empty front counter greets us.

"Where is everybody?" I whisper beside Jacob.

We walk up to the counter.

"Hello?" Jake calls out. There's a small bell sitting on the counter and Jacob pushes it multiple times.

Suddenly, I feel the urge to start bouncing up and down. Our forty-minute drive into Port Angeles was now turning into a trip that was stretching well beyond an hour and I just realize for the first time we haven't made any restroom stops. Jake takes notice of my fidgeting and makes a face.

"What's wrong with you?" he grins. "I don't think it's that cold in here."

"I really need to use a bathroom," I admit.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Jake leans over the counter. There's an open door in the back; however, where it leads to - we're not exactly sure. "Hey?! Anybody back there? You do know that your sign says _Open For Business_?"

"Maybe they're on a lunch break?" I suggest.

"Or a bathroom break?" he cracks and then looks at me.

I playfully smack him one against the arm for trying to be funny at my expense. "And, seriously, I don't think I can wait much longer so I'm going to go check it out and see if there's one around here somewhere."

"Fine. And I'll just wait here until someone or something decides to magically reappear," he cracks. "I've always been quite fond of Rabbits."

Car joke. Funny.

I crack a smirk. "I'll be right back."

I wander back outside and the bell chimes again when I exit. However, I don't take a right and head back to the front which is the same direction we came from. Instead, the left side leads me further towards the back where the building seems to split in two. A huge wire fence stands erected to the right of me and serves as a barrier between this building and the next one over. Quickly, I recall that restrooms are usually found on the outside of these old places - kind of like gas stations. Which makes me consider something else - what if I need a stupid key? In the end, I decide it doesn't hurt to check it out anyway.

I pass by the garage - and after peering inside, I get a glimpse of a car sitting up on a lift and a second car is parked to the left. However, there doesn't appear to be any auto mechanics in sight. Finally, I reach the dividing point found in the building. I peer into what appears to resemble, on first glance, a small walk-in alleyway. There are some scattered trash cans and a dumpster backed up against the far back wall. I take a few steps forward to investigate more; however, when I catch sight of some unexpected faces, I jump. They're smoking but put their cigarettes out on the ground when they finally see me standing there. I immediately jump to the conclusion that they must work here.

"Sorry, don't mean to bother you guys, but do you work here?"

They don't answer me. They just continue to stare.

Weird.

The feeling in the atmosphere shifts and I find myself feeling nervous and shuffling my feet. "My truck broke down on the street out there and it needs a new tire?" I point over my shoulder, cutting to the chase. "Can _we_ get one here?"

Yes. I do intentionally make sure to incorporate the use of the plural pronoun - _we_. Suddenly, I want it to be perfectly understood that I am definitely not here alone. However, neither of them seem to pick up on that or care very much as I'm confronted by two complete strangers.

Wait, are they approaching me?

They're approaching me.

By now, I realize these two guys are kind of creeping me out. There is something a little off that I can't quite put my finger on; however, maybe it just has to do with the strange way they keep staring at me and how they refuse to answer my questions. They appear decently built in bodily size - both of them look like they could even give Jake a run for his money. However, quite obviously - and rightfully so, I reflect on how this situation can potentially turn very ugly for me if things get out of control. But, suddenly, on closer inspection, I pin point that it's not the muscular attributes that are keeping me grounded here. No, it's something strange and unnatural looking about their eyes that pulls me in - keeping me transfixed and rooted in one place. A part of me is shouting at myself to just turn around and run like hell. Yell for Jake - do something.

"I don't know, Jack," one of the strangers speaks for the first time. A wave of sandy-brown hair is slicked over the top and to the side. However, his tone is mocking in nature and he appears to be directing his sarcasm at his blond-haired buddy standing right next to him. "Do we work here? Can she get a tire?"

The blond-haired friend standing beside him snorts in response. "She can get whatever she wants as long as she can show me what she's got."

I roll my eyes. Great, like I need this.

The guy gives me a dead serious look. "I mean cash. Show me the money!" he stresses.

"Okay, great," I snicker back. "Since we've now established that I actually need money to get the tire and if you don't happen to work here, which I'm seriously beginning to doubt that you do, can you please tell me who does?" I interrogate. I don't want to give off the fear vibe.

The voice of another stranger finally answers my question from behind me. "I do!"

I jump.

I have no idea where he suddenly appears from but my question is definitely answered. Did I blink and miss something? I want to just leave but now I virtually feel frozen in place. Is this what fear does when it gets a hold of you or is this something completely different? I force myself to take steps backwards but then I stop.

Move, Bella, just move.

"One of you call for me?" this new voice inquires next.

"New customer, Jack," the guy with the smart mouth and sandy-brown hair responds. He has a smug smirk cornering his lips and the sides of his mouth are moving around like he's chomping on gum.

So this newcomer is Jack. It is now established that the blond-haired friend is not Jack but rather someone else. Finally, I gather enough courage to turn around and take in the sight of Jack - he's tall, dark, muscular, and wiping his grease-stained hands on an old, dirty rag. His deep, set, blue eyes stand out as they peer into me. I turn from side-to-side only to discover that I am now cornered in from both the front and the back.

"Um - I was actually just looking for the bathroom."

The two guys behind me now have smirks plastered on their faces and the sight pulls out a buried memory from deep within me. My mind quickly flashes back to that one incident in Port Angeles when I was walking back alone from a book store to meet up with Jessica and Angela for something to eat. Those same four disgusting guys who had been leering at us in the dress shop had cornered me - they were engaging in excessive alcoholic drinking and the thought of what they more than likely intended to do to me brought about shivers that were now wracking my body. Edward had come to my rescue that night and saved me from the horror of having to endure such a horrendous fate. He knew what their thoughts had been because he can read minds.

But there will be no Edward to save me this time around.

Jake is inside.

Will he hear me if I scream loud enough?

"Look, I'm sorry I bothered you, I'm just going to be heading back now," I turn and try step around this Jack guy. "Excuse me?" I implore loudly.

He doesn't move for me though.

"My boyfriend's waiting for me inside," I lie. Okay, so it's not completely a lie. Jake is technically a boy and he is my friend, I reason. But they don't need to understand the distinction.

I'm now facing off with Jack. Without any words, I attempt to walk around him again. However, he purposefully moves to the right and then to the left and blocks my path from both directions when I try to leave. I can make out the snickering sounds coming from the two bungalow idiots who are still hovering in the background.

"I'll scream!" I threaten. "And he'll hear me." I know the panic in my voice is very easy to pick up now.

They just laugh.

"Hear that, Jack," the rude one with the sandy-brown hair snorts. "She's letting us know she has a set of pipes on her!"

"I say we let her have a go with them," the blond one adds. However, unlike this Jack guy or even his other creepy friend, he is very fair both in complexion and hair color. His white blond hair is cropped and his physical build almost competes with Jack. Or even Jacob for that matter.

"Hey, I think that's an awesome idea, Seth," the other one high-fives his blond friend back.

I, on the other hand, just feel the urge to smack him. Both of them. So now I've established that the annoying blond one is named Seth instead of Jack. Very nice - I hope to never meet him again once I get out of this.

_If_ I get out of this.

"Move!" I demand, staring directly at this Jack. "Let me go! Now!" There is defiance in my tone.

"No, I don't think so," he narrows his eyes in at me. "You just got here," he smiles and looks over at the other two.

"Excuse me?"

"Aidan? Seth?" he calls back to the other two. "Go for it."

Then with my back still turned to them, I'm completely startled when a pair of arms grab me from behind and lifts me into the air. I begin screaming at the top of my lungs, putting every ounce of octave into my protests that my voice box will allow. I'm not quite sure what's happening next; however, a hand comes up to cover and stifle the sound coming from out of my mouth. There's alot of laughing, snickering, and cat calls remarking on how 'feisty' I supposedly appear to be; however, I don't give a damn about any of that because I'm too busy putting all my energy into biting and kicking my way to freedom. In the next instant, my teeth meet with flesh.

"Ouch, dammit, this girl's got one set of chompers!" one of them shouts out.

Well, I did want to become a vampire, I think snidely. Unfortunately, it's not enough to get him to release me though. Maybe he's the one called Aidan - the sandy-brown haired guy; however, I'm not entirely sure and I don't really care. Only one thing registers in my mind.

Pain.

Good. I want _him_ to feel more of it.

However, before I can even register how it is happening, I'm released to the ground when a figure comes charging towards us and body slams my attacker up against the stone wall. It's Jacob; he must have heard my screams. I fall to the ground just as that creep Aidan is yanked into Jacob's grasp and I struggle to catch my breath and force my rapid heart rate to calm. I look up in time to catch Jake.

"Don't you ever touch her!" his tone sounds deadly. I have never seen Jacob exhibit such excessive force.

Jacob has a tight grip on the shirt collar and he almost appears to be choking the life out of him. He has Aidan pinned to the wall, feet dangling in the air, with no conceivable way around Jake. For a brief moment, I'm too shocked to even react to what's happening. I've never seen Jacob in such an agitated state and it's actually a bit frightening to observe him in action like that. I quickly reach the conclusion and tell myself that I would never want to get on his bad side - not ever. However, even more shocking, when I glance between the other two guys - I feel even more surprised to discover that they don't appear to be coming to the aid of their friend. In fact, when the blond-haired one named Seth attempts to step in and break it up - the other guy, Jack, just waves him off.

What the hell?

"I'll kill you, do you hear me, I'll kill you!" I hear Jacob threaten in a tone I have never heard before.

"Jake, no, don't!" I cry out.

"Dude. Back the hell off, man. We were just messing around, we weren't really going to hurt her or anything," the one named Seth tries to justify whatever it is that was going down just a few seconds ago.

"Let me go!" the guy named Aidan demands through gritted teeth. "Or I swear, you're gonna' be sorry." All of his focus remains on Jacob.

"Actually, I think you owe her an apology, first!" Jake demands, ignoring Aidan's not so subtle threat. "A big one. And I want to hear some groveling mixed in there too, got me?"

I shut my eyes. "Jacob!" I plead. "I'm fine, can we just go?"

"No!" this Aidan creep refuses. "But if you don't let me go, then I'm going to make you let me go!"

Finally, I'm able to gather enough courage to move over to Jake. "Jake, please, come on. Let's just forget it and get out of here."

"Bella, back off!"

I'm a little taken back when he talks to me in that tone but I begin pulling at Jake even harder - begging for him to release the jerk. The last thing I need is for Jake to do something stupid, something in the heat of the moment, and something that he'll likely regret later on if he ends up in jail. How will we explain that to Charlie or Billy?

"Jake, c'mon, it's not worth it!"

"No!" he mouths the word like venom. "Not until he apologizes to you."

"That's it, I gave you fair warning!" Aidan clenches his teeth harder together - if that's even possible.

Then Aidan appears to follow through with his threat. I can't quite believe it; however, he uses his own upper body strength to overpower Jacob - forcing Jake to release him. Next, his arms come up and shove Jake backwards so that he flies into some garbage cans that shake and rattle but Jake is still able to keep his balance.

"Jake!" I rush over to him.

I can see his heavy pants. I place my hand on his chest hoping it will help to calm him down just enough so that we can end this and walk away with our lives intact; however, I realize it's probably going to be a futile attempt. He's already preparing to go back on the attack when Aidan suddenly steps forward and lands a huge socker punch right in Jacob's face.

I can't help it; I let out a yell. "Jake!"

He keels over - resting his hands on his knees.

"Is that all you got?" this Aidan tries to provoke Jake some more. He looks too smug and it pisses me off. "Or are you gonna' let your girl speak for you again?" he snickers.

"Just stop!" I grit through my teeth. "We're leaving!"

Jacob lifts himself back up - he has a swollen lip and a bloody nose. I reach my hand out to his face but he tries to shake it away. He's fighting to keep control but is about to lose it again when he makes a move back toward Aidan. However, he doesn't get the chance to retaliate because a loud piercing whistle interrupts the altercation taking place. It halts everything. I may not recognize who or where it is coming from in this exact moment but I relay a silent prayer to whatever higher power could be out there in the universe listening. I did not want Jake to get hurt any more than he already was. Next, the voice demands to know what we're all doing.

"What the hell is going on here?"

It's incredible to watch; however, suddenly - all three of these guys are standing at immediate attention. You'd think that they were serving in the military or something and that their superior just caught them in the act of doing something very wrong. Their bodies go straight and rigid and all the nonsense from moments before simply vanishes. Jake and I turn to check out this newcomer and we're immediately greeted by the source of the interruption. However, Aidan is the first to address the new intruder.

"Darren?"

* * *

**To Be Continued: **Yup, if you were paying attention from the previous chapter, that is who you think it is, lol. Oh, and next chapter will be a JPOV. I'll try to have it up by the end of the week.

Until next time ...


	4. Family Ties

**A/N: **New chapter is finally up and posted. First, let me offer a big thanks to my new readers who have either reviewed or placed me on alert/favorites list. It's a big compliment to me as the author. Also, a big thanks also goes out to my consistent reviewers, lol. I love reading your feedback.

**(Warning:** Alright, I'm going to use my discretion and place caution ahead for my reading audience, which is directed mostly at the beginning of this chapter. I have my story rated at **T**; however, there are some minor uses of coarse language which warrants maybe more of an **M **rating. Therefore, lol, anyone who happens to mind, please consider yourselves forewarned**).**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Family Ties (Like that 80's TV Show but only Worse!)**

**(JPOV)**

I lift myself back up; however, a vague feeling of a busted-up lip and a bloody nose registers somewhere inside my mind as I use the back of my hand to swipe underneath my nose. As I glance down, I see how the bright crimson color is now staining against the darker russet color of my skin. My mind races to catch up with the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. I try to steady my heavy, uneven breaths to the best of my ability because I want nothing more than to just kill this smug bastard.

Right here - right now.

Bella attempts to reach out and offer what I can only assume is concern; however, I brush her away. My intention is not to offend her but it's dangerous for her to be around me right now. She just doesn't know it. I can also hear her faint warnings in the back of my mind telling me to stop before things get more out of hand than they already are. But I can't stop. The truth is I don't know how to stop and I have no idea what's been going on with me over these past few weeks. The truth is that while Bella's been going through her own thing, I've been going through mine. Granted, all three of these pricks deserve to have their faces meet up with my fist for even entertaining the idea that it's acceptable to put their hands on Bella without her consent; however, when thinking about it some more, I'm pretty sure that's not all this reaction is about. I feel those familiar stirrings of something else - something more primal and completely out of control. I'm about to have another go with this Aidan character when a loud, piercing sound interrupts my attempt.

"What the hell is going on here?"

I stare into the face of this stranger.

What the hell is going on here?! Uh - more like, who the hell are you and what are you doing here, is what I think to myself. However, there is one good thing about this unexpected interruption and that is that it offers me a reprieve to calm down and put things into perspective. The first notable difference in the air surrounding us is that all three of these losers stand to immediate attention. I'm positive about one thing now; their attention is definitely off of us. They're standing here in complete awe - like they've just been bestowed with the honor of seeing _God _for the first time. Or maybe awe is the wrong description here. I think it's more like shocking disbelief. Like, my _mommy _got home from work early and just caught me with my hands inside of the cookie jar. I snort to myself because their surprised expressions really are a priceless sight to behold.

"Darren?" the idiot chewing the gum, aka. Aidan, blurts out.

"Aidan?" this Darren guy mimics, raising his brows up in the process. To me, it almost feels like this whole situation is amusing to him, the notion that his mere presence can cause this kind of _star-struck _reaction.

_Me? _

Well, I'm not star-struck to say the least. I'm just completely _dumb-struck _that a bunch of hormone-driven imbeciles are acting like a bunch of morons in response to some other guy who doesn't appear to be that much older than the rest of us standing here. Which, in all likelihood, means that this newcomer could not have accomplished anything that spectacular in his short life yet to warrant such attention. However, the dorky blond one suddenly pulls me from my thoughts when he follows up with his own remark.

"You're back early, dude."

I just stare between the two jerks I now know to be Seth and Aidan. However, the only urge I'm feeling in the moment is to inform this Aidan creep on how his punch could use some serious work because he honestly hits worse than a girl. Hell, my sister Rachel landed me one right smack in the left eye one time and at least that left more damage. It left a huge black and blue shiner for about two months. This swollen lip? Pf ft - It's barely even a bump, it'll be gone before the week is up. But I decide against it last minute when this new guy finally decides to grace us with his witty presence again. He inquires over to the '_Jack-ass' _who's practically standing right beside him.

"Jack, what's up?"

_Right. _Brilliant question there, new guy. Um, is it just me or did he basically just ask the same damn thing less than a minute ago when he wanted to know what the hell we were all doing here? I can't resist the urge to roll my eyes just before Jack actually answers.

"The girl just stopped by looking to buy a tire," he nods in Bella's direction.

Darren looks straight at Bella. "Right. So, then you're the one who owns that big, red, hunk of junk down the street that's currently bringing down the property value in this neighborhood as we speak?"

I hear _dumb and dumber _snicker beside us.

Bella and I take a quick glance at each other, shake our heads in unison at the stupidity of this whole exchange, and then I turn my face back around so I can send dagger eyes over in their direction.

"Did you drive yourself straight out of a 1960's movie drive-in and forget which decade to park in or what?" Darren continues.

This time the snickers get louder and laughter breaks out as Jack reaches over to high-five Darren - who just stands there with a smug smirk on his face. I can't help it; it's probably asking for big trouble but I just can't pass up the opportunity to add my own two cents into this.

Whatever - he asked for it.

"Hey, I got news for you, pal," I narrow my eyes in at Darren. "The property value around here might really suck but it ain't got nothing to do with that vintage truck. And considering the kind of company we're standing in right now, maybe it's the neighbors or the overly friendly business folk that need to go?" I watch triumphantly as I wipe that ridiculously smug smirk right off his face with my sarcastic rebuttal.

He narrows his eyes on me. "I don't live here," Darren declares with a slight hint of irritation to his tone. "I do, however, own and run this repair shop. Something that I'd really stop to reconsider, if I were you, since I'm not the one in need of getting my hands on a new tire."

Bella huffs in surprise. "So, wait, what are you saying? That you're not going to sell one to us?"

I shake my head and reach over to take Bella's hand. "C'mon, Bella, let's go. You're right, we do need to get out of here."

We take steps forward and I watch with curiosity as Darren's expression completely shifts into something different; however, I'm not exactly sure why it does. He inspects Bella up and down one time in a way that makes me feel a little uncomfortable while holding up his hand to stop us.

"I didn't say that," he declares.

We stop.

"The guys were just messing around before, Darren," Jack pipes in, returning the focus back to the earlier events that transpired. I shake my head, feeling disgusted. We were about to make head-way with that tire and like the moron he proves himself to be, he screws it up.

_Way to go, Jack. _

"Look! Just go back to your corner, Little Jack Horner," I can't help but retort in a very snide manner as soon as that particular nursery rhyme pops into mind. I remember it was one of Rachel's favorites. "Take an early lunch and go eat that damn pie or big ole' plum that you can magically pull out from your thumb. Because you're certainly no help to us here."

He barely even flinches at me.

"Nah, sorry, Jake-y boy," Jack sneers back in my direction. "See, I can't speak for yours, but my _mommy_ stopped feeding me those types of stories back when I was like five."

"Interesting," I counter with a snort, lifting my brows and remaining painfully aware that I'm helping to egg this on. "So you're telling me that your mother actually had the courage to stick around and watch you grow into the mega-asshole you are today? Somebody break out the medal."

"Jake, c'mon," Bella pleads. I can tell in her tone that's she's becoming even more frustrated by this whole situation. "Just ignore them. They can't push our buttons if we don't let them."

"_Ooh_. How prophetically profound, old wise one!" Aidan snorts. "Where did you find this one, Jake-y?!" he laughs, clearly mocking me and Bella at the same time.

"Shut-up." I keep it short and sweet this time.

Bella glares at him and then he starts to make kissing sounds at her. That clearly pisses me off so I make a threatening move to stand off with him again. I realize I'm barely keeping my temper in check. Both Aidan and Seth immediately move to match me defensively after catching sight of my offensive stance taken against Aidan. But I instantly feel Bella tugging me back.

"Jacob, stop!" she cries.

However, it's the sound of Darren speaking out that finally halts their movements and settles things back down. "Back away!" he orders both of them. "We're not doing this."

"But, Darren ... " Aidan begins to protest but stops when this Darren closes his eyes and holds up his hand, a gesture that appears to signal that he could care less about him finishing the sentiment.

"Not here and not now!" Darren sends him a firm command; however, his eyes convey a secret message along with it. But whatever the hell that 'message' is supposed to be, anyone's guess is as good as mine.

"Anyway, like I was saying before," Jack interjects, now leaning against the brick wall. "The guys meant no real harm, Darren."

"Unbelievable," I mutter under my breath. I sigh in frustration. "So we're officially back on this topic."

"Yeah, exactly, we were just screwing around, Darren," the blond one named Seth nods, backing up Jack and ignoring me. "I swear, it was just for fun. No harm, no foul." An awkward-looking smirk, which really seems to resemble a nervous gesture, crosses over his lips just as quickly as it disappears.

"Fun?" I snort. "Seriously, is this your definition of _fun_, man?" I point to my face. "Or how about we ask _her_ how much fun she was having while being man-handled by some ignorant pompous ass like your friend over here?!" I nod in Aidan's direction.

"Please!" Seth retorts.

"Yeah, that's right," Aidan also completely ignores me and backs up his buddy while defending himself to Darren. "We would have sold her that tire," he pauses and then adds, "eventually." He laughs and then Seth joins in with him. "Oh, and the bathroom is actually on the inside, if you really wanted to know." He looks back at Bella.

"Jerks," Bella mutters and rolls her eyes at me.

"Yeah," I can't help but sigh in agreement. "An entirely different word just crossed my mind."

"Look, we don't want any trouble, we just want to leave, okay?" Bella addresses Darren.

Darren looks back at her. He stares, blows out some hot air he's obviously been holding in, and then eyes her some more with a deep contemplative expression. For the second time in a span of about five minutes or so, I wonder what the hell that reaction is all about.

I get my answer.

"So. You're the infamous Bella Swan, huh?" Darren announces to the entire group. "Or should I pronounce it - Isabella."

"No, I despise Isabella," Bella retorts with defiance. "And back up a minute. How do you know my name?"

"Good question. How do you know her name?" I back up, crossing my arms in front of me and waiting to hear a reasonable explanation to explain it.

He doesn't answer either one of us. His eyes fall on me next.

"And Jacob Black."

Bella shares a look with me. I wait - continuing with keeping my arms crossed over my chest as I look over to him expectantly. However, I don't really get the reaction I'm anticipating from Darren. He just glances between us. Instead, the answer to our inquiry comes from Bella herself.

"Wait, Darren?" she repeats the name in a way that something might have just dawned on her. I study her and watch as her brows pull together in deep thought until it suddenly appears like a magical light goes off in her brain. "As in, Aunt Vivian? _That_ Darren?" she concludes.

A cocky grin falls into place.

"The one and only," Darren confirms. "Of course, _Cappiello _is actually the last name of my step-loser before he ran off, left my mom, and then married a much younger _cow_," he passes off the insult with little effort. "This," he spreads his hands out to demonstrate the building surrounding us, "was left to my mother in the divorce. And now it belongs to me," he announces a little too much conceit.

I shake my head. "Lucky you. I'll bet your mom's real proud you worked so hard to inherit all this."

Maybe that was a little uncalled for; however, Darren ignores it anyway. Instead, his focus remains on Bella while he addresses her again.

"And you," he glances down at his wrist and checks the time on his watch, "are now officially over an hour late. I think Vivian was expecting you before noon."

"Car trouble," I mock.

"Well, I'm no Sherlock Holmes, _Jacob_," he sneers, "but I'd say that part's pretty obvious, wouldn't you?"

"Well,_ Darren_, I actually meant for that to be sarcastic, so it didn't really require a response from a 'thick-skulled someone' such as yourself," I throw right back at him, trying to make him feel like the idiot he's certainly being. "But either way, I'm sure she'll understand. She's not that late."

"Hm" Darren just hums, shoving his hands into his side pockets while pretending to consider what I've just said. "Still," he nods, "maybe I should just give her a quick call to be on the safe side," he goads further. "Vivian can be a bit on the protective side and when that happens she tends to pry. We wouldn't want her to upset, Charlie, now would we?" he reaches to retrieve his cell phone.

_What the hell is this - a battle of wills?_

I watch a dark shadow pass over Bella's face. "Wait, you're telling me she hovers and prys?" she shakes her head and begins tapping her foot against the ground. "Great," she sighs, closing her eyes. "I'm leaving one prison for another." Her eyes shoot back open. "And, hey. You're not really serious about her calling up Charlie and freaking him out are you? I mean, will she?" Bella pushes. "Please don't call her."

I jump back in. "Look, just sell us the stupid tire so we can get out of here," I try to get back to business with a no nonsense ring to my tone. "I promised her dad that I'd make sure she got there safe. And I'm not leaving until she does." This guy is really getting on my nerves.

A buried memory suddenly resurfaces as I remember Darren. A little sandy blond-haired kid, about eight or nine, visiting me and my family on the reservation back when I was around five years old. Bossy as hell too. He always controlled everything we did as kids - what we'd play, all the way down to how we'd play it. I can recall the sack races when we would pair off into teams of two: usually Bella and I, Rachel and Rebecca, and then Darren and Sam Uley. Just before the races would get started, that little sneaky shit would always stick out his foot and trip me on purpose. Then he'd laugh, I'd have a good cry, and then it ended with me always getting called a wuss. He told me I belonged with the girls; therefore, he would pair me up with Bella. Bella and I would always lose. Sam Uley and Darren Cappiello would always win. Of course, this was back in the day when Sam and his father still hung around my family and before he got all weird and decided to crown himself head-honcho over the entire La Push reservation. Thinking back on it now, no wonder why Sam Uley and Darren made quite the little team. In addition to always winning together, the two of them were definitely sporting around that same annoying superiority complex.

Darren flicks the cell phone shut. "I guess Vivian can wait."

"Right," I nod, waves of sarcasm flowing off of me. "Glad you see it our way." It ticks me off that he's having fun toying with us. However, when I take a peek at Bella, she just looks relieved.

"Well, where are my manners." Darren steps forward.

I'd like to tell him exactly where his manners are: shoved so far up somewhere _where _the the sun don't shine; however, I bite my tongue and I don't even dare say it to him. Instead, I just watch as he extends his hand to Bella.

"It's nice to meet again, Bella," he offers with a smirk. "I know it's not technically the first time we've met but it has been a very long time."

Bella accepts. "Sure. I do remember you, though."

"Unfortunately - I'm able to say the same thing," I admit with little to no enthusiasm and I make sure it shows. However, it doesn't deter Darren, though, because he extends his hand to me next.

"Jacob?" I momentarily stare down at it like this giant snake just opened it's mouth and started hissing at me. However, I finally give in and reciprocate with a quick shake of our hands.

Darren steps back. "And forgive these, clowns," he nods towards his friends. "They can act like first class turds every now and again but they really are harmless," he defends them. "This is Jack," he starts with the official introductions. "Jack is actually the only one of these yokels who technically works here."

Jack just smirks. He flings the dirty rag over his shoulder.

"And that's Aidan," Darren points over to him.

Aidan salutes us.

"Of course, the big show-off over there sporting the obnoxiously expensive, brand-name FITIT over his shoulders is, Seth," he finishes with the final introduction. "Seth's actually promised to get us all one of our very own for Christmas next year, haven't you, Seth?" he smirks in his direction.

"Yo, yo,'" Seth replies, flashing us a peace sign with his two fingers. "And in your dreams, my brotha'!" he addresses Darren.

"Sure. We'll see about that, my friend," Darren winks right back at him in a mocking gesture. "Alright, listen up, knuckle-heads," he playfully chastises. "This right here happens to be my long lost cousin. My mom and I were expecting her today. From Forks?" he squints his eyes and looks to Bella to make certain he's right.

"Yeah, that's right, Forks," Bella nods. "I've lived there for almost a year now but I did grow up in Phoenix after my parents split," she shares.

"Right. So, her name's Bella Swan. Be nice to her; I mean it."

A whole bunch of shout-outs follow Darren's instructions while I stand here feeling a headache coming on.

"Hey, Bella."

"What-up, Bella!"

"Sorry about that, Bella."

I shake my head in disbelief. I just really want to get the hell out of here now. "Okay, so now that we've all made _nice_," I impatiently jump back in, "how about that tire?"

"And that bathroom, please?" Bella starts jiggling around again and her teeth chatter.

"Follow me," Darren nods his head.

My hand travels to Bella's lower back and I guide her forward in front of me as I take one last cautious look around me at this group of guys. We all walk out by forming a single line leading from the cramped space. Somehow, I'm able to pick up that something about this group feels off and very strange; however, I'm positive it has more to do with something else and not just the fact that they happen to be friends with Bella's loser cousin, Darren. I just wish I could put my finger on what that something strange was.

**(-v-)**

Bella got to use the bathroom while I went to purchase to tire from the front desk. Afterwards, a couple of the guys helped to haul it out to the truck for us; however, when they insisted on doing the rest - I insisted right back that it wouldn't be necessary. I was capable of taking things over from there. Darren offered to let us follow behind him while he drove his car back to his mom's house. Ironically, it turned out that while Bella and I were busy getting lost, we somehow managed to make a turn onto the lower end of Lincoln where the truck crashed. Lower Lincoln, in turn, would have taken us to the upper-side, which we are driving on now - and then from there, we could have taken the turn onto 4th Street. It was just like I had advised earlier, this street connects into Peabody.

On the ride back to her Aunt's, Bella decides to let me drive. While driving, I grab a peek over at her and catch her staring at me.

"What?" I can't help but smile back at her.

"Nothing," she tries to deny at first. There's a brief pause but I wait because I know it's going to come. "It's just ... when did you start to become so vulgar?" she laughs. "You know, back there? I don't remember a single swear word ever leaving your mouth back when we used to hang out at Charlie's place."

I tap against the wheel and laugh with her.

"Vulgar? I wasn't vulgar," I deny. "I was ... expressing myself creatively."

"Yeah, sure!" Bella smiles and then rolls her eyes. "I counted two cuss words, at least." She points a finger at me. "You are vulgar, Jacob Black!"

I chuckle. "Hey, can you honestly tell me they didn't deserve it?"

"No, but that's not the point," she counters.

"Sure it is," I counter back.

"No, seriously, when did things change. When did _you_ change?" she inquires.

I get quiet because I'm not exactly sure how to answer that question for her. However, Bella doesn't push it though - instead, she just waits patiently beside me in the passenger seat for whenever I'm ready to offer up a good explanation to make it understandable for her. I decide to keep the discussion light.

"Uh, I don't know. I guess maybe it just takes a special kind of girl to bring out the bad in me," I tease.

"I don't think so," she smirks. "Nice try, Jake." Her face turns and looks out the window.

Silence takes up the space between us for a few lingering minutes. It gives me time to really think about her question. When did I begin to change? I can't really deny it - I have been starting to feel different. First, the unexpected growth spurt from out of nowhere. Then, the mood swings. There were those weird dream sequences. And now, I discover that I can experience boosts of physical strength.

I recall the incident with Billy a couple weeks back.

After confiding to my dad my concerns about Embry distancing himself from me and hanging out with Sam and his punks, I just blow up at him when I don't like his answer. I literally pick up the coffee pot from the kitchen counter and send it flying through our small kitchen window. The glass breaks; it shatters everywhere - onto the counter, spreads across the tiled floor, and even onto me. Billy remains calm though - actually, he's so ridiculously calm that it borders on downright creepy. He should freak out on me or yell at me. He should order me to my room or do something a bit more drastic as far as punishment goes. Yet, instead, all he does is wheel himself to the kitchen closet, opens it up, and then wordlessly pulls out the small tool box we keep stored inside of there for emergencies.

_"Get to work," is all he says to me. _

And that's exactly what I do.

With the help of my friend Quil and some other local guys from our school, we retrieve a new plate of glass from a local repair shop on the reservation. One of the guys, Caleb, has a brother that co-owns the place. We get a deal on it - which basically is just 'term' for me agreeing to offer my labor services free of charge on a 'volunteer basis' for the next whole Saturday. A real bummer! I admit that I deserve it, after all, I did break the window in that fit of rage. But I'm still bummed, regardless, even if I do know how to work cars. I much prefer having the cash on hand to just pay for it and be done with it. I beg Quil for a loner, I know Embry would have given it to me if he had still been around, but it turns out Quil is just as strapped for cash as I am. Anyway, Quil helps by taking care of the measurements for the window replacement before we even get to the shop and the others help me place it back in after we get back to my house with the sheet of glass. I do my 'time' on that following weekend and that's supposed to be the end of it.

Or so I thought.

"JAKE!"

I'm pulled from my deep thoughts by the loud call of my name.

"Huh?"

"Yes, hi. Earth to Jacob." Bella is leaning over towards me, attempting to wave one of her hands in front of my face. I duck away from it. "Didn't you hear me before?" she is asking me.

I shake my head to clear the foggy cloud forming over my brain. Now I feel kind of embarrassed. How long _was_ she calling me, trying to get my attention. "Uh, sorry, what did you say?"

"I was just curious to know if you heard my screams or not? When you came running in to help me?" she repeats the same question I was probably blocking out the first time she asked it.

"I heard you," I quickly confirm. "Some screaming, that is," I clarify, just to make sure she understands that's what I'm referring to and not about whether or not I heard her just now.

I leave it there. What I don't tell her is that I actually heard the whole start of the conversation and was on my way out there as soon as I picked up that things were going to get out of hand. I guess I can add super-hearing to that growing list of super powers, I reflect.

"Well, thank you," she offers, gratitude in her tone.

I smile at that. The sincerity mixed in with her humble offering warms my heart - although, the offering in and of itself is completely unnecessary. I look over at her.

"Bells, there's no need to thank me for doing the right thing."

"I know but still. If you weren't there - who knows what really would have happened."

"They were just being a bunch of show-offs, Bells," I reassure her. "As much as I really can't stand them - that much about what they've said I believe. They weren't really going to hurt you."

She smirks. "So you were just defending my honor, then, huh?"

"You bet," I grin.

"Maybe," she sighs. "But, speaking of bets, I guess you win that bet after all."

Wait - what is she talking about?

"What bet?"

"The one where you said I wouldn't last a day until I found myself in some kind of trouble again. Although, I guess just stubbing my toe or colliding with some random fire hydrant was a little too optimistic, huh?"

"What happened back there wasn't your fault. I was just kidding around with you earlier, Bella," I flash a serious look back at her.

"No, Jake, what you said was absolutely true," she counters. "I'm a danger magnet. In fact, what happened back there wasn't the first time I've encountered a potential situation in Port Angeles that I wouldn't have been able to get out of on my own. Only the last time it was the real deal."

This revelation alarms me. "What other situation?"

"It was stupid," she starts out by trying to downplay the seriousness of it. "I came out here last year with some friends from school. I took off by myself, I really probably shouldn't have - it got dark, but when I tried to meet back up with them I ran into a group of drunken idiots who thought it was funny to hit on me all at once. Only, believe me, those guys weren't going to let me get out of it as easily as Darren's little rat pack did back there."

"They're lucky I wasn't there."

"I got lucky that Edward was there," she informs me.

At the mention of his name, the tension builds and my grip on the steering wheel tightens. I can feel my teeth sinking into my lower lip and I try hard not to draw blood.

"Right, Edward."

I've always remained guarded around the subject of the Cullen's; the myths and legends surrounding them have always been passed down from generation to generation within the tribe. All you have to do is ask anyone on the reservation and they'll tell you that those old stories always make for some interesting entertainment to laugh and poke fun at around one of our traditional Quileute bonfires that are usually held year long when the weather permits. The tales usually tell about our tribal leaders and the unprecedented meeting between our people and the legendary Cold Ones - a clan of immortal beings. However, as to what that really meant, no one ever really knew. There continues to be room for speculation, rumors still run abound as to what the Cold Ones actually are: Vampires, Ghosts, Demons, Angels, Reptiles ... nothing went left to the imagination. After all, the tales regarding the Cold Ones weren't any crazier than the tribal tales of Quileutes descending from real wolves.

But now, here in this moment, I have another reason to have an adverse reaction to the name - 'Cullen.' And to be even more precise, to the name of 'Edward Cullen.' I can sum it all up in two words for you.

Bella Swan.

He had hurt her. He had hurt her badly. I didn't know exactly how and I didn't know all the details but I'm smart enough to know that something serious went down between them and it was serious enough to the point where it left her wandering around alone and lost in the woods for a very long time until Sam was able to recover her.

HE left her stranded and alone.

"If he was your boyfriend, then why wasn't he with you?" I know it comes out sounding harsh and accusatory but I can't help but ask the question even when I know I probably shouldn't.

"Because he wasn't my boyfriend at the time, Jacob," Bella gets defensive. I can definitely detect that any mention of him is still a very sore spot for her. "He just showed up when I needed him the most, that's all."

A quizzical expression covers my face. "He just showed up out of nowhere? Like batman or superman?" I crack.

"No, I mean like ... he followed me."

Alright, this is getting even weirder to me. "Right, he followed you," I repeat. "So, he was a stalker, then?" my question is very matter-of-fact and straight to the point. But one thing is very clear to me. Bella isn't happy about my powers of perception and the conclusion I've drawn.

"Jacob!" she cries.

"Bells, I'm sorry, you're just going to have to forgive me on this one," I defend myself, "but I'm a guy who's had a crush or two in my life and even I know that following someone around without them knowing about it kind of goes beyond psycho. Actually, it strikes me as downright creepy. "

I can tell she's irritated with me.

"He was only trying to protect me," she defends him with a little too much passion as far as I'm concerned.

I mean, c'mon, let's be real here. Isn't this the same guy who like 'dumped her' in the middle of the woods or something to that effect? He didn't even have the common decency to escort her back to her front door, first, before he takes off running like the coward he is, like a bat out of hell? I happen to know some of the bits and pieces to the story, coming from what Charlie chose to share with Billy over the past couple of months.

"Oh, sure, right," I nod with a sneer set firmly in place. "Great job he did there, huh?!" I pass the dig right along. "Protecting you? How long were you left wandering out in those woods again?"

"Jacob! Shut-up! It's none of your business, anyway!"

If looks could kill, that's the kind of expression she flashed at me. But there is something else concealed behind the anger and that something is a deep-rooted pain. I saw it whether she wanted me to or not. I very briefly throw my hands up in mock surrender to get my point across while still holding onto the wheel.

"Fine. It's none of my business that some major jerk deserted my friend in the middle of a forest somewhere. Then, he disappears on purpose, just so he could leave her to spiral into a depression that's been out of control for like three months," I vent. I pause briefly but I'm not finished. "And here's the best part, " I stress. "The whole thing leads to her forgetting all about the people who actually still give a damn about her!"

There.

I finally said what's been on my mind since she stopped taking 'my' visits with Billy at Charlie's place all those months back. To be honest, it kind of hurt but I tried to brush it off by going about my own daily routine. After all, I still had the guys - Embry and Quil, to confide things in. But then, even that changed when Embry went AWOL into Sam's little camp and there was really no one left to talk to. Quil listened but Embry and I were always closer so Quil didn't take the new seperation to heart as much as I did. I could have used a fresh perspective and Bella's girlie input on 'relationships', even if her suggestions just served to give me a good laugh or two. The truth is, that my visits to Charlie's house gradually grew into an occasion where I just looked forward to hearing the sound of Bella's voice. Glancing over, I can see with my periphial vision that her elbow is propped up against the window and she brings her forehead down to rest against her hand before speaking to me again.

"I refuse to talk to you about Edward, Jacob. I mean it!" she stubbornly insists.

There's an authority concealed in that tone of voice that tells me she isn't joking around about this in any way, shape, or form. I release a sigh, trying hard to contain myself as my own frustration continues to grow.

"Okay, fine. Whatever you say."

I drop it and leave it at that. However, my tone reflects that I'm far from okay with just dropping it. But I do it anyway for her sake. Because while I may feel justified in my position regarding Edward Cullen, it's not worth risking my friendship with Bella over. It has been months with no contact and I actually miss our little one on one chats and the card games we used to play while Billy and Charlie would scream at the big flat-screen TV in the living room. However, little does she know, she is one of those crushes I've harbored. When thinking back, I'm pretty sure it developed into more than just some random crush during the time when we were hanging out more. I can't pinpoint the exact date and time; however, the realization is a bit daunting. Because I honestly didn't believe it was possible for me to actually_ fall in love _at my age. I mean, isn't that something that happens when you get older, you find that 'mature' kind of love that adults take completely for granted to the extent of commitment and you never want to let it go?

Guys my age were out 'playing the field' so to speak and getting to know all types of girls. Me, I went to school everyday, sat in my room, did my homework, worked in my garage, tactfully blew off advances from girls at school, and wasted my time pining away for a girl I truly felt like I would never have a chance to be with. I would watch her from afar as Edward Cullen held the honor of holding her delicate heart in the palms of his hands. He's a fool for screwing it up like he did because I would never have willingly walked away from her. Not in a million years. So with that said, I have to wonder, was the guy out smoking crack that day? What is his drug of choice if it's not Bella?

Hm.

"I told you, I'm just not ready to talk about that yet," Bella opens back up and her voice softens along with it.

Well, it's a start.

"I know," I concede. "You've already told me that once today, Bells," I sigh. "I won't push that subject anymore. I'm sorry I keep slipping up and doing it," I offer my apology.

"It's okay. Thanks," she murmurs.

I'm happy to note that she sounds relaxed again and that's a good thing. I don't want her staying mad at me. Bella may not be ready to talk about the whole situation right this second; however, she specifically made reference to 'yet.' She's not ready to talk about this _yet_, which means that at some conceivable point in time, she will be ready to talk about it and get it off her chest - or at the very least, feel more comfortable doing it. Hopefully by then, I'll be the good friend she turns to and I'll offer her my ears to listen and my shoulders to lean on. And then maybe - just maybe, with a miracle, there might come a time when I have a chance to cross beyond the boundaries of friendship and explore something more with her?

"Bella, please just know one thing!" I turn to glance at her, a serious expression covering my entire face. I reach over and take her hand with my free one. "I'm not him. I may not know everything that happened and I know we're just friends. But I need for you to know that I'll never walk away like that. I promise to always be here when you need me and I promise not to hurt you."

A flicker of emotion dances through her eyes. She squeezes my hand and offers me one of her smiles that just turns my insides into mush. The sound of a horn beeping pulls us out of our reverie and I silently curse it for doing so. Then, after all of my attention turns back to the black Chevy Impala stopped in front of us, I realize that Darren is signaling to us that we've reached our destination.

"Looks like we're here," I pull up to stop at the gate just behind him.

Bella sighs. "Welcome to my nightmare," she cracks. "All these townhouses look the same," she observes.

And they do.

As the gate opens, I follow Darren into the complex until we reach the designated parking location that sits in front of a two-story level townhouse with off-beige, creme coloring from top to bottom. A perfectly manicured lawn sprawls out in the front yard with a perfectly cemented walkway leading up to the front door. Flower pots decorate the upper level balcony and hints of the sun's rays glisten off of the perfectly painted exterior.

Yup. Barbie's Dream house comes to mind.

Rebecca use to own one.

**(-v-)**

Bella and I get out on our respective sides and slam the doors shut.

"Move it along, Isabella," Darren calls out as he approaches the truck. He's already reaching into the back and then snatches out her bags. "I've got places to be and faces to see!"

"Okay, first things first here. If you really want us to get along," Bella retorts, "you will not be calling me that. Ever!" she stresses. "I'm totally serious." She trails behind Darren towards the front door and I follow.

"And you, little cousin," he mocks her, turning back around to face her with his back facing the front door, "should know that nicknames and I don't work well together. I," he stresses, "call them how I see them. Or in your case, how I really know them." He winks at her before turning to open the door to enter.

I hear Bella groan beside me.

We stop.

"This is going to be one long school year," she mumbles so that I'm the only one able to pick up on it.

I pull her beside me. "Hey, if it gets that bad, we've always got my garage. We could throw a blanket and a pillow into the back seat of the Rabbit and Billy would never have to know," I supply as a joke.

Laughter breaks from her. "Yeah, great, so glad you've got Billy covered. Now what would Charlie think?" she throws back at me, lifting her brows in the process.

"Let's see, with him being the actual Chief of Police? Um - probably that I kidnapped you and you're being held hostage until you corrupt my youthful innocence," I playfully grind my teeth together.

"Jake!" she swats my chest. "Oh my god, you're being a perv. Besides, you are not even legal yet," she pretends to be appalled by my playful suggestion.

"I beg to differ," I protest. "I am one hundred percent completely legal!"

"You are not!"

"I am too, look up the statutes. Age of legal consent in this state is sixteen, baby," I challenge but the line is delivered all in good fun and in humor. "And I've already reached the sixteen and a half marker, so that gives me six more added months to play around with."

I can't help but laugh at her 'deer-caught-in-the-headlights' expression. Bella just rolls her eyes at me, stuffs her hands into her pockets, and begins shuffling her feet back and forth.

"Besides, I'm only kidding, Bells," I decide to enlighten her in the slight chance that she missed the part where we were just supposed to be joking around. "Please don't have an aneurysm or anything because the last thing we need today is to have to rush you off to a hospital somewhere."

"Funny," she grins. "Don't worry, if it got to that point, we could just call for an ambulance."

As I turn to look behind us, I catch two more cars pulling in through the gate. They happen to be carrying those three friends of Darren: Jack, Aidan, and Seth. However, I notice there's an extra person that I can't account for from the auto shop which means they probably stopped somewhere. After the cars park in vacant spots that are nearest to Darren's parked car, I realize that the newest addition is in fact a girl. They all get out and at the same time, we're greeted by the sight of Darren and a woman - whom I presume to be his mother, coming out from the front door.

"Bella!" the woman holds her arms out as she comes rushing over towards her. She fully embraces her. "Wow, it is so great to finally get to see you again," she gushes. "You were so little the last time I laid eyes on you." I watch as she pulls back so she can take a closer look. "Just look at you, you are so grown up now," she smiles.

Bella looks uncomfortable but smiles in an effort to be polite. "Hey," she nervously shoves her hands back into her pockets. "Thanks for, uh, putting me up," she settles on. "Aunt Vivian." The use of her formal name comes out sounding awkward and very unnatural - like Bella was just trying it on for size.

"Oh, let's back up," Vivan puts her hand up. "No, hon," she closes her eyes, laughs a little bit, and then shakes her head in distaste. "Please, either call me Viv or Vivian. Either one is just fine by me. 'Aunt Vivian' just comes across sounding way too formal for my tastes. Darren doesn't even address me formally."

Bella starts out with a slow nod of her head. "Oh." I can read her confusion. I can't blame her - that kind of throws me too but whatever. I shrug it off. "Oh, sure, no problem," she nods quickly this time.

"You'll get used to it," Vivian winks.

_Aunt Viv _sure has alot of energy and spunk. She shifts her gaze over to me next.

"Jacob?!" Vivian squints her eyes and points at me like she's hazarding a guess about my identity. "Jacob Black. I recognize the face, now it just comes with the longer hair," she smiles.

I nod. "Yeah, that's me," I offer a smile to be polite.

"And how's your father?" she inquires, her voice full of sincerity. "I know things got really hard for him right after the accident," and I notice she chooses her words carefully when making that statement. Hm - strange. However, not as strange or eluding as the next one. "We all tried our best to be there for him."

Okay, just who is this 'we all' and why would they need to be there?

"He's ... just Billy," I settle on, not sure of what else to say. "Dad's been in the chair for as long as I can remember. Since my mom passed away," I shrug.

Vivian flashes me a smile full of sympathy. "Sarah was a good woman. I'm sorry you missed out on the opportunity to get to know her better."

Mom passed when I was three. "Yeah, me too."

"Alright," Vivian claps her hands together, abruptly changing the subject. "My ingenious son, over there, can explain all the ins and outs of everything around here to you, Bella. Right, Darren?"

Bella and I turn to look in his direction, along with Vivian, only to find that the new girl is snuggled up comfortably underneath Darren's underarm. I can only presume she must be his girlfriend and that the three of us just caught him in the act of smooching all over every area of her right cheek for everyone within a five mile radius to see. The new girl is enjoying every minute of the attention, though, as she giggles and continues to chomp away on her gum.

Oh.

And I guess she's also sucking on what appears to be a cherry flavored Tootsie pop at the same time. Interesting combination she's got going there.

"Sure. No problemo, Vivian," Darren responds so casually to his mother's request, like she's nothing more than a mere acquaintance.

_No problemo? _

Okay, I can come up with one "problemo" right off the bat. If I ever would have addressed my mother in that type of manner while she was still living - in such a nonchalant fashion when it was perfectly understandable to me that I was the child and she was the parent, my father probably would have back-handed me one in such a way to make sure I'd never forget it. Granted, both Bella and I are prone to referring to our own respective parents by their first names on occasion but did Darren ever acquire the concept of respecting your elders?

"Jennifer and I are just going to head on down with the guys and hang out at one of their places for awhile," he adds. "Jennifer," Darren addresses her, "this is Isabella Swan."

"Bella!" she heatedly corrects him.

"She's my cousin," he finishes the introduction with a self-satisfied smirk in place. "Oh, yeah. And that _stud muffin _standing to the right of her is her friend. _Joke_, was it?" he mocks me.

"Jake!" I correct, straining to keep my temper in check. Damn. I really can't stand him and time has done nothing to change that.

"Isabella, Jake," he accentuates on purpose. "This is my girlfriend, Jennifer."

Bella quite literally throws her hands up in the air.

"Nice to meet you," Jennifer acknowledges with a wave. "And nice truck," she cracks, breaking into laughter.

All of the laughter coming from the four guys follows hers.

Bella and I turn around to glance over at the truck at the same exact time. Then we throw a knowing look over at each other. I know the same silent thought passes between us.

_Stuck-up Prima Donna. _

"And we're going to be going now," Darren follows up.

_Good riddance. _

"We've got some business to handle but I trust you won't have any problems getting her settled in, right?" he addresses his mother one last time.

My response is almost automatic. "I'll help to get her settled in," I volunteer. "Do all of you live here in the complex?" I ask, looking between the five faces. I'm curious to know.

"Sure do," Aidan snaps his fingers over in my direction. "Later, bro'." He waves and the small group of bandits, including Jack and Seth, disperse.

"Yup. Whatever," I mutter.

Afterwards, Bella and I follow Vivian into the house. Vivian gives Bella and I a brief tour of the spacious first floor - living room with fireplace and mantle, kitchen with an island and a sliding door that leads out to a backyard patio, small dinning room with a dinning room table already set for six. As I make my way in and out of the different rooms, two distinct things catch my eye: the first is her taste in 17th century French Art which happens to adorn most of the walls in her home. And no, I'm no connoisseur of the arts. It's just that most of her pieces are sporting the name of the artist and the year in which each piece was reportedly painted. The second most notable aspect about her interest in the arts are the wolf-like figurines scattered around just about everywhere on coffee tables, shelves, dressers, and night stands in different locations of her house. There are also the vast number of those portraits displaying wolves depicted among humans - almost as if the artist meant to represent that they are co-existing as one.

"So, Bella, you can take this one," Vivian calls out when we reach the second floor landing. "It's the spare, we usually reserve it for guests but you can keep it now."

Vivian opens the door and then steps back to the side to allow Bella to enter. I follow close behind with Bella's bags in my hands and once we step inside we are greeted by the sight of a pretty contemporary room. It's simple - the layout and design suited for a male or female guest. The color scheme running throughout the room is an off-white and a medium beige. I place the bags down on the carpeted floor.

"I'll just be downstairs if you need anything," Vivian announces before leaving. "And if either of you are hungry, help yourselves to whatever is in the kitchen," she offers with a parting smile.

"Thanks," I smile back and offer a wave.

"Yeah, thanks, Vivian," Bella also answers in response to her hospitality.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Vivian offers back and then walks away out of sight. "Oh - bathroom is down the hall, around the corner on the far right," she shouts back down the hall. "Feel free to shower, linens are found in the cabinet closet you'll find to the left of the door."

Bella and I look to one another and grin. Vivian wasn't really that bad at all - she was actually pretty likable once you got to know her a little bit.

My grin fades. "Well, as great as that offer to eat and shower sounds right now, I really should probably get going. I called this guy, Caleb, from my school while we were still downstairs and he and his older brother said they didn't mind coming out here to pick me up. And that was at least thirty minutes ago."

"Oh, okay."

She sounds a little dejected. "But, hey, that offer for Saturday still stands. You can either drive down yourself or if I have the Rabbit ready by then, I can come out and get you."

"Sure," she sighs, nodding her head. "Give me a call or I'll call you. Whatever."

"Good," I nod.

"Good," she nods back at me.

A brief moment of silence passes between us but it's beginning to border on awkward.

"You okay?" the question comes out slowly.

"Yeah, fine," she plasters on a smile. "I don't know - now that I'm out here I was kind of just wishing that you could keep me company a little while longer. I kind of don't want to be by myself just yet."

I offer her a warm smile, walk over to her, and then pull her into a gentle embrace. She accepts and we sway together for a little bit with her in my arms and me grasping on tight. My eyes close for a brief moment and when I open them back up and look down, I take notice that Bella is resting her head against my chest and is clearly enjoying the moment just as I had been doing before - her own eyes closed. I really don't want this feeling to end but I do eventually force myself to pull back as I address Bella.

"Here," I offer. "I can help you start to unpack until they come."

And with that offer in place, Bella smiles wanly, and we both retrieve the bags and get to work.

* * *

**To Be Continued**: Yes, I do have a direction with all these characters, lol. And for those of you wondering, our favorite pack will eventually make their appearance and become part of the story but not until Jake fully turns and some more of the main plot gets introduced. That will be happening next chapter from BPOV (more of the main plot).

Please be kind and review? I'm really honored that more people are liking my story enough, even though it's still just in the beginning stages, to put me on their favorites list and to place this fic on story alert. Drop me a line on what you think as well, I promise not to bite. After all, I'm not a vampire, LOL.


	5. Welcome To Forks

**A/N**: Alright, peeps. I was busy so it took me a little longer to update with the holidays on the horizon. To those of you out there who celebrate, hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to anyone out there who may celebrate something different.

Just to clear a few things up since I've been asked in reviews/responses about this. Jacob has not phased yet. He is showing signs of the transformation but the process has not been completed. The phasing will signal the completion of the transformation process and this will eventually happen in my story. Also, as far as updating goes, I work on new parts in my free time so I don't like to give a specific time table in case things in real life come up. With that said, I will do my best to keep this as updated as possible while the ideas keep flowing to me.

At the bottom of this chapter, I have given some footnotes to provide a couple sources on where I picked up some minor information I included in my writing below.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Welcome to Forks**

**(BPOV)**

Monday morning finally arrives bright and early.

The weekend did pass by excruciatingly slow; however, much to my apparent relief, it remained a pretty quiet one with only Aunt Vivian and myself having the house to ourselves. I did use my time to catch up on some of the homework I had fallen behind on while Darren spent the rest of Saturday, and then Sunday, away from the house - where, I can only presume with his little band of hooligans. However, at least I was spared his presence and didn't have to worry about being subjected to his annoying antics for two straight days in a row. Charlie called me later on that Saturday to check in and just to make sure I had gotten settled in without any problems. I kept the conversation to a minimum seeing as how I was still feeling upset with him for sending me away to live in Port Angeles. I didn't know exactly when I was going to feel over it but I still also had a few choice words reserved for Renee as well. I just hadn't gotten the opportunity to speak with her yet.

Surprisingly, Jacob and our conversation also replayed itself over and over in my mind when I wasn't thinking about Edward. To be honest, I got the distinct impression that he was more upset about being blown off the last couple months than he was actually letting on. Because of this, I resolve myself to definitely accept his invitation and not back out of it for this coming Saturday so we can make up for lost time and get our friendship back on track again.

I'll call him.

After getting up at the crack of dawn, showering, and then eating a light breakfast, I drive back to Forks and pull into the parking lot at school. As I step out of my truck, the first thing I take immediate notice of is that Mike and the rest of the gang aren't standing in their usual spot by Tyler's van and waiting to throw a few, hallow glances and some nonreciprocated greetings my way. Instead, I find Jessica huddled very closely beside Ben and Angela while Tyler snickers beside Eric. They are whispering to each other. Angela is usually pretty reserved anyway and will just try to offer me a small smile on occasion but today she is distracted too. When thinking about it, I actually feel pretty horrible since I can't recall the last time I've even tried to call her back so I could talk to her. Eventually, she just gave up on trying to call me all together. Unfortunately, the situation with Angela also reminds me of how I had been treating Jacob as well and then his snarky remark about Edward's disappearance causing me to forget about the people who still cared and loved me comes back to haunt me. I forcefully push those thoughts and feelings aside when I realize, with relief, that they haven't even acknowledged my presence yet. However, one thing is most definite. The look spread across Jessica's face does not appear to be a very happy one. I grab my backpack lying on the seat, close the door, and then follow to where the gaze of my former friends lands until my eyes encounter an unexpected sight: Mike Newton in the throes of harassing some other poor girl for her attention.

A very pretty girl, about 5'11, very tall and slender, with a very healthy flow of curly blond hair running about mid-way down her back is standing with her hands up in the air while she addresses Mike Newton. If I'm reading her body language correctly, she appears to be attempting a very polite rejection of Mike's advances as her slight backward steps seem to indicate. However, on much closer inspection, I quickly conclude that she is not someone I recognize. We do not share any classes together, I've never seen her sitting in the school cafeteria, and I've never run into her in the school hallways. She is a complete stranger to me.

I just shake my head and roll my eyes as I fling my backpack over my shoulder. While I'm thankful for the temporary reprieve that today offers, since I don't have to be the one to endure Mike's 'torture', my heart does go out to the other girl. I know exactly what it feels like to have to deal with him not being able to take the hint or to take no for an answer. I start walking in their direction towards the stairs, my eyes cast downwards, when an unexpected voice suddenly pipes in beside me.

"So, did ya' hear the news yet? New girl on the radar!"

I'm momentarily startled by the sound but then I turn to find Jessica suddenly walking right beside me. After first glance, she still appears very tense and her voice definitely reflects a fair about of sarcasm to boot. I stop to take another look over in Mike's direction again as Jessica pauses with me.

"Yup. And that would be her right there!" Jessica volunteers. "But that look so went out with the 90s," she snorts with a quick roll of her eyes.

I catch it.

I try hard to suppress the urge to roll my own eyes _at _her. It's beyond obvious that she's just so blatantly green with jealousy.

"But, hey," Jessica huffs with amusement, "look at the bright side. At least now, _you_, don't have to be the one enduring all that weird attention with those god awful looks. And - the awkward gawking that people give?! Pf-ft. I'm so glad my parents decided to stay simple and boring and I never had to move anywhere else, ya' know."

Uh - yeah, and you were one of those 'people', Jessica - I can't help but think it to myself after the choice words of 'awful looks' and 'awkward gawking' leaves her mouth. But I don't say it out loud. She just continues to babble on and I just continue to do my job and listen.

"Yeah, sure," I placate her ramblings.

"And, big plus," Jessica continues on, "you're definitely freed from Eric's non-stop attempts at trying to shine the spotlight on you or threatening you with some 'geek-a-fied' feature article that is so not award-worthy to begin with," she cracks, while shaking her head side-to-side and rolling her eyes at the same time.

As I look back over for a third time, I do catch Eric standing next to Mike now, hoisting up his camera in one hand while extending the other one for an introduction. He's got that familiar goofy grin covering his face while he and Mike appear to be battling it out in front of the girl for their own 'spotlight.' I can't help it, the sight of it brings a very light smirk to the corners of my lips when I remember all the way back to my first day here last year and I reflect on how there is probably some truth to Jessica's words after all.

"Okay, please, she is so _not_ all that!" the green-eyed monster pops right out of Jessica once again.

I; however, do not want to stand here and listen to the rant any longer. "Jessica, hey," I boldly assert. "If you still want to be with Mike, then why don't you just tell him?" I blurt out before I can take it back. I quickly resume my steps that take me away from a stunned and speechless Jessica standing behind me.

I pray he'll take her back to spare the rest of us.

I make it into the school and then hear the first bell go off which signals it's almost time to be in homeroom. After a brief stop at my locker to retrieve my Math book for first period, I'm just about to turn and head to my classroom when I'm interrupted by someone calling out for me.

"Bella? I'm glad I caught you. Do you have just a moment, please?"

I turn around to find Mrs. Perry, the school guidance counselor, standing just a few feet away from the school office door. Oh no. Please, please, tell me that Charlie did not make a call to the school too, I instantly find myself pleading and then panicking on the inside. I did not want to talk to any shrinks, I told him that; however, I suppose I should have gotten more specific and thrown school guidance counselors into the mix as well. I do my best to plaster on a smile and pray that I'll be able to get out of this with a few simple words and an attitude that downplays anything Charlie may have shared with her.

"Oh, hey, Mrs. Perry, " I nod my head and greet her with the politeness that proper student etiquette requires. "Um, I actually only have a couple minutes or else I'm going to be late and get marked tardy," I point over my shoulder.

"Oh, that won't be a problem, I can give you a pass," she offers back with a smile. "I just wanted to ask a favor from you if you don't mind. Step into my office for just a minute, it won't take long," she nods her head in the direction of the office door.

I follow her into the school office.

After stepping inside, I am instantly met with the sight of the same new girl who had been cornered by both Mike and Eric in the parking lot not that long ago. She was seated on the small black couch reserved for any students waiting for Mrs. Perry outside of her personal office space but the new girl immediately stood to her feet at the sight of Mrs. Perry and myself coming inside.

"Bella Swan," Mrs. Perry starts with an introduction after immediately stepping inside, "I'd like for you to meet Collette Duval. Collette is our newest student and this is her first day here," she shares with me. "Collette, this is Bella Swan, she was our newest student last year."

Collette smiles and bobs her head up and down. The soft, barbie-blond, curls bounce with her head as she does so. "Hello," she stammers out with what I perceive to be with a very heavy French accent. "It is ... um, how do you say - nice to meet you?!"

She extends her hand and offers it to me so we can shake.

"Hi," flows my simple response.

I'm about to reciprocate when something completely catches me off guard. I freeze, withdraw my hand, and just continue to gawk like a mindless idiot. When I look directly into the face of this newcomer standing in front of me, I'm startled to discover the same golden, honey-colored shade of eyes, resting on the face of this stranger, the same eyes that have stared into the depths of mine about a million times over. They are the same eyes I've seen in my dreams. They are shining with a brightness and an intensity that alarms me and it is then that I suddenly feel those first inklings of fear creeping up my spine as my thoughts race:

Another vampire? How can that be?

Does she know about the Cullen's? Did they send her here? Did HE send her here?

What about all those random killings of the hikers and that poor family who had been camping in the woods?

Does she know Victoria? Is she here because of her? Was she sent here to try and kill me?

I witness confusion now dance across her face after she encounters my sudden hesitation. A quick glance to the side reflects the confusion now showing in Mrs. Perry and this alerts me that I need to recover from this momentary relapse and I need to do it fast. I just shake my head to make the thoughts disappear. I finish extending my hand out to hers for the introduction.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry," I offer and I'm instantly relieved to feel the warm sensation that passes between us coming from the contact of her skin to mine. "It's really nice to meet you," I say to her as sincerely as possible.

"Yes," she nods and a smile returns to her face.

I suddenly realize I'm just being paranoid. Actually, if I'm being honest with myself, it goes way beyond paranoid. Is this how my failed relationship with Edward has left me, I reflect. Innocent people, who have never even met me before, were now going to be subjected to my insane obsession over a lost love - a 'lost love' that according to Edward himself, was never even really 'love' to begin with?

Ugh!

I mean, so what, right? The girl just so happens to have golden eyes. Big freaking deal. For the first time ever, I acknowledge that I don't want to always be reminded of him everywhere I go or with everyone I see. I'm beginning to lose touch with the comfort and security that thinking of him 24/7 always brought to me. I'm beginning to feel tiny sparks of anger directed at him, instead of directed at 'fate' for taking him away from me. I realize I want a life - I want things back to normal, or as normal as they can get when one happens to be Bella Swan. I just want it the way it was before all the stupid vampires and boogie monsters showed up in the night. Because when I look at Collette now, the truth is that there is no abnormal paleness associated with the pigmentation of her skin. I see no indication of a sparkling exterior that would have been completely noticeable, outside in the parking lot, under the bright rays of the sun earlier. Finally, there is definitely no sign of that ice-cold marble feel that Edward and the rest of the Cullen's have to the touch.

"Bella," Mrs. Perry jumps back in. This grabs my attention. "I figured since you already know what it's like to be the new student around here, that you'd be kind enough to show Collette around and help her out when needed," she flashes a quick smile over at the new student. "Both Collette and her father have just recently moved here from overseas and English, I believe, comes as a second language for her. But she is learning and coming along very nicely with it."

I nod back at Mrs. Perry. "Sure. Not a problem."

"Good," Mrs. Perry smiles back at me. "I've given Collette her schedule and you can show her to first period. "I'll leave you two girls to it, then. Collette, good luck and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to stop in and see me," she addresses her one final time.

With that over and done with - Mrs. Perry writes us a pass to excuse our tardiness and then we venture back out into the hallway.

"Here, I can take a look at that for you," I reach out for her schedule. She very willingly gives it up to me.

"I try to read," her accent flows through her words. "But I do not 'understood'," she stutters the last word and messes up the use of the tenses.

"Yeah. I think you mean you 'tried.' And you did not 'understand'," I correct her in a gentle manner and with a soft smile. "And, hey, don't worry, about it," I yank on my backpack strap and pull it tighter to my shoulder. "English is my only language and I still had a hard time figuring this out last year."

My sentiment happens to bring a smile to her face while I just feel relieved that I have not offended her.

"Ah, yes. 'Tried.' 'Understand.' And I ... understand," she corrects her usage and empathizes with at the same time, in regards to my own predicament last year. I didn't think it was possible but her smile does get brighter as she continues to speak to me. "It is not good to be new."

I nod my head in agreement. "It can be hard. And very uncomfortable," I laugh with a slight touch of unease.

"Yes," she agrees with me.

We walk a little bit further in complete silence.

"Okay," I look down at her schedule. "I think we're here," I tell her as we stop in front of her first period class. "And we share science and then the same lunch period," I inform her. "If you want, we can meet up right over there in front of the bathrooms and I can show you around from there."

"Yes, that is good. Thank you, Bella Swan?!" she questions me.

"Um, yeah. But just call me Bella, though," I wave my hands. "We can keep my last name out of it."

"Ah, yes. The Swan." Collette smiles and her eyes narrow in contemplation. "Is taken as, um, you say 'symbol', yes? Symbol of love, symbol of fidelity in many fables and cultures." She sighs, still piecing together her sentiment. "The Swan are creatures of great beauty and monoga ... monoga ..." she struggles with the pronunciation of a word that I pick up on.

"Monogamy?!"

"Yes. Monogamy," she nods. "Thank you. Your name brings you, good fortune. In life and in love," she smiles back at me.

I snort. It's not meant to mock her but it certainly is meant to mock myself.

Collette's brows knit together in confusion in response to my less than dignified reaction. "I do not ... understand?"

"No, sorry," I rush to apologize. "It's not you - it's just that as interesting as that whole sentiment sounds to me, if you had any idea about my life or about the kind of love and relationships in it, the irony would be quite astounding," I share. "I think even to you," I can't help but roll my eyes along with saying that.

She remains quiet for a moment as she absorbs what I have said. "Hm," she finally hums to herself. "Perhaps, this love is there but you are blind to it," she advises. Then she sighs.

I think about that for a split second.

"And, now, I must go," Collette smiles. "Again, I thank you. Bella."

She moves to reach her hand out and retrieve her class schedule back from me and then turns to enter the classroom. Glancing back one last time, she waves and I wave back as I watch her disappear inside. Then, I head off for my own first period class.

**(-v-) **

First period trigonometry class dragged on rather slowly; however, by the time I got to my third period English class, I was more than a little surprised to discover that our regular teacher had been replaced by a new substitute. Apparently, Mr. Banner was now on some type of extended leave for an undetermined period of time. However, the reason behind his sudden leave of absence wasn't made very clear to we, the students - personal issues being the very vague explanation we got.

"My name is Peter Rousseau," the substitute announces as soon as I take a seat where I normally sit, which is in the far back row. "Homework assignments will always be listed to the left side of the blackboard and due the very next day. Please make it your responsibility to take out a notebook or a piece of paper and copy these assignments down each and every day you enter my classroom so that you won't forget about them."

He walks down the middle aisle of each row passing out worksheets.

"I don't know how Mr. Banner ran his classroom but I will be taking over for the remainder of the school year and this is how I will be running things," he shares with us as he reaches my desk and then hands one of the sheets to me. He eyes me carefully before moving on.

Weird.

I shudder and then shake it off, looking down to the worksheet now resting in my hands.

"I have not been made aware of when he'll return," Mr. Rousseau continues, "or to what extent his personal issues run."

"Yo', Mike," I hear a voice call out.

When I lift my head up to look, I notice it's one of those jock guys who takes elective gym class with me and who sits about two seats up from Mike Newton in the first row next to the door leading into the classroom. I glance over and catch the entire exchange.

"Did you get a chance to check out that new girl?! Hot, man!" he mouths. "Totally and completely freaking hot."

Yeah. Like all those adverbs and adjectives were really necessary.

"Heck, yeah," Mike grins. "I got myself a date with her this Friday," he lies.

I roll my eyes at that one.

"Get out of here, man," the jock from gym creases his brow and grins. He clearly isn't buying it and throws a scrunched up ball of paper towards Mike's head, which bounces off him and onto the desk.

Mike just smirks and the jock friend turns back around.

I shake my head and return my attention elsewhere. Looking down, I make out what appears to be a revised list of reading material for my literature class. I don't recall ever reading the first few title selections before, which consists of the following:

_Howling Mad _by Peter David.

A trilogy written by Alice Borchardt and the three stories are titled _The Silver Wolf_, _Night of the Wolf_, and _The Wolf King_.

The very first novel listed on the sheet is titled _Moon Dance _by S.P. Somtow.

There are also some other scattered pieces of literature listed that I have heard of before which include works by William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, William Faulkner and Robert Frost.

Next - there is a list of definitions and descriptions associated with these wolf books that follows like this. There's 'wilkolak' for Poland; 'Varcolac' for Romania; 'werwolf' for England; 'Werwolf' for Germany; 'loup-garou' for France; 'vilkolakis' and 'vilkatlakis' for Lithuania; and 'libahunt' for Estonia.

"The first reading assignment will be _Moon Dance_, written by Somtow," Mr. Rousseau announces as he moves back to his desk. "For those of you unfamiliar with the work, which I suspect that most, if not all of you, are - it's a tale telling of the immigration of European werewolves into the American colonies and their encounters with Native American wolves. You'll also come into reading contact with some very haunting human figures as well."

Angela raises her hand and Mr. Rousseau calls on her.

"Yes?"

"Folklore?" she inquires.

"You can say that," our new teacher remains acutely vague in his response.

Angela scrunches up her face into a mask of confusion. "What does that mean, exactly?" she seeks clarification. I actually want some clarity too.

Mr. Rousseau studies her thoughtfully for a moment. "What I meant to say is that, yes, we will be covering works traditionally perceived as common folklore. However," he leans down and rests his palms against the desk, "for the intent purposes of these reading assignments and this class, I've assigned both_ Moon Dance _and _Howling Mad_ by Peter David, to you, as a viable way for us to compare and contrast fact from fiction even within mythological folklore."

I hear some snickering and then a familiar voice. "Werewolves?! That's so cool, dude," Mike Newton addresses the entire class. "I want to read _me_ some silver bullets so point me in the direction of a gun and show me the trigger."

The entire class breaks out into laughter except for me. Apparently, I'm not the only one who is not amused by Mike's antics because a loud resounding noise echoes throughout the classroom when Mr. Rousseau picks up a book from his desk and slams it back down to silence the entire classroom.

I jump.

And silence the room his reaction does.

"And I don't tolerate any insubordination, Mr. ... " the new teacher pauses, looks down at his roll call, and then finishes his reprimand. "Newton is it?!"

Mike now carries a deadpan expression. "Yes."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Rousseau," the teacher corrects his use of etiquette.

"Right. Yes, sir, Mr. Rousseau," Mike repeats.

"Right. This is how it works, Mr. Newton," I watch as Mr. Rousseau narrows his eyes in on him. "You show me some respect while you sit in my class for the next forty-five minutes or so and then I'll show some respect towards your grade at the end of this term. Do we understand each other?"

I see the jock friend smothering his mouth with his own hand, clearly suppressing his snickers and the urge to break out into more laughter while he glances between Mike and the teacher.

"Right, I understand," Mike submits. "Sir!" he quickly remembers to add on.

"Good."

The unsettling feeling that erupted inside the classroom moments before slowly begins to dissipate as soon as Mr. Rousseau jumps into launching his lecture and the class assignment we are responsible for today. However, the remaining time passes by quicker than it did for my first and second period classes.

By the time I get to the school cafeteria with Collette for lunch, everyone is already close by and fawning all over her. Granted, she is very attractive and amazingly blessed as far as physical appearance goes, heck, she could probably even give Rosalie a run for her money in the 'looks' department. However, I do note that she seems extremely perplexed and uncomfortable with the amount of attention she is both drawing and receiving on her first day at a new school. After a stop at the serving hatches for Collette, and then one at the salad bar for myself, we walk past the table occupied by Ben, Angela, Eric, Mike and Jessica. The difference today; however, is that I notice a new face sitting there too - Lauren Mallory. She and Jessica have been getting rather chummy in my absence and the truth is that she has never even once tried to warm up to me or get to know me in the whole time I've been attending school in Forks. For whatever reason, Lauren doesn't like me and she continues to glare at us and then proceeds to throw a rather dirty look in our direction as we pass by the table and then head over towards the solo table by the window. Pathetically so, this has become the most inventive way I came up with to be close to Edward. And that was by sitting in the same exact chair and using the same exact table that he used to use.

After finishing up with my assigned duty for the day by serving as 'personal escort' to the new student of the month, I feel relief wash over me when I hear the last bell of the day signal that school is finally over. I rush out the doors and contemplate what to do with my spare time during the two hours I have before I have to report to work at Newton's. I can always stop over at Charlie's place, I reason. After all, my room is still there. I make a quick mental note to remember to ask Mike's mom if we can rearrange my working schedule. Perhaps I can make it in there right after school gets out so I'm not getting back to Port Angeles any later than I already did here in Forks. As I journey on towards my truck, I'm distracted and lost in a daze when I'm suddenly pulled out from it by the call of my name.

"Bella!"

I turn to locate the source. That voice is familiar so I quickly scan the crowd.

"Bella, over here!" it calls out again.

Finally my eyes find the culprit. I'm pleasantly surprised to find Jake in the school parking lot, leaning back against a parked car as he waves me over to him. I shift direction and walk over to find him sporting a huge, smug grin.

"Hey," I nod over to him. "What's this?"

"She's all done," Jacob proudly exclaims and pats the hood of the car. "Purrs just like a kitten. Took me all day Sunday to finish her, too," he sighs, "but it was so worth it."

"And why is that?" I quickly scan the layout of the car.

He chuckles and throws me a look. "Well, duh. So I could stand here and talk to you right now," he enlightens me.

"Right," I smile back. "It's the Rabbit."

"Yup," he sighs. "Besides, now that clears up my weekends so I can spend my time more _efficiently_," he bites down on his lower lip while looking pointedly at me. I understand the meaning behind his words. "And you and I can get to working on those bikes. You're still coming, aren't you?"

"Definitely," I nod. He looks pleased that I'm still down with it. "She looks good," I compliment him on his hard work done to the car.

"Definitely," he agrees and grins at me. "So. How about you hop in and take a quick ride with me?"

"Uh?" I hesitate. "I don't know, Jake. I've got to be at work by four."

"Okay," he stammers out. "So you've got about a couple hours," he shakes his head back and forth. "I'll bring you back here in time so you can make it over to Newton's for your shift. That is where you're still working, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, okay then." His eyes linger on me.

"Shouldn't you still be in school?" I narrow my eyes at him in a playful manner after I decide to interrogate him a little bit.

"No! Res schools get out a whole hour earlier than yours do," he corners me in with a satisfied smirk in place.

Okay, so the truth of the matter is I'm really out of excuses now. Jake just stands there expectantly with his arms crossed in front of his chest. I roll my eyes in a playful manner.

"Fine," I give in. "But we can't go that far," I warn him as I walk over to the passenger side and open the door.

"Hey, your wish is my command," he teases as he opens his door and slides in on the driver's side. "Now. Hold on tight," he commands, looking over at me with a dead serious expression.

"Jake!" I send him a warning look with my eyes and grab for the handle on the door at the same time. "You do it and I swear that I'm outta' here before you can even step on the gas!"

Edward used to drive fast. And to be honest, it kind of freaked me out even though he seemed to know what he was doing. After all, he is a vampire, and speed to them is as natural as food to us.

He breaks out in laughter. "Jeez, Bells! I'm just kidding, relax. You really need to loosen up and learn to live a little," he admonishes playfully.

Jacob starts the ignition, pumps the clutch, and then steps on the gas. We get a few stares coming from Tyler Crowley and Mike Newton as he pulls the car past them, he catches their curious expressions, and then honks the horn a couple of times before driving us out of the parking lot towards an unknown destination.

**(-v-)**

We sit in a comfortable silence as Jacob drives us down the highway stretch at a pretty average speed. It wasn't long until the sign posted on the side of the road indicated that we were heading in the direction of the reservation.

"La Push?" I question, peering over at him.

"Uh, yeah," he glances back over at me before turning his eyes back onto the road in front of him. "I figured that we could take a walk on the beach or something," he shares. "I mean, look," he nods at the sky, "the sun is out and it's not raining for a change."

It's true. It's a welcome change.

My mind also drifts back to thoughts of Edward and how he, Alice, and the others would have taken the day off due to this bright and sunny weather. And me? Well, I would have been left alone, but here Jake and I were, able to spend such a beautiful day together. However, just as quickly, I get angry with myself for even thinking about it. Not for thinking about Jake and me but the other part. After my experience today, I'm feeling more determined than ever to turn over a new leaf - I want to just forget about the Cullen's. I want to forget about Edward. I want to do exactly as Edward 'predicted' and that's to go on with my life as if he and the others never existed.

I smirk. "Yeah, well, maybe it's a good sign," I tease. "For the both of us. New beginnings," I breath out while staring out the passenger-side window at the beach front we are now passing by.

"New beginnings?" he grins and thinks it over for a minute. Then, he decides to agree. "Actually, I think I like the sound of that."

"Me too."

I smile back at him and then instinctively reach my hand over to take his free one into mine. This is actually the first time I've initiated our hand-holding and he looks pleased by this new result.

We drive the rest of the way and Jacob parks the Rabbit on the lot before we both get out. Suddenly, I can feel the chill in the air surrounding us as the ocean breeze hits me. I begin to gently rub against the lengths of my arms to generate some of my own body heat. Jacob catches it.

"Cold?"

"Yeah, a little bit," I answer honestly.

Jake leans into the back seat and pulls something out. "Here."

He throws an over-sized hoodie to me and I reach out to catch it. Instantly, I pull the thick material over my head and as I do, I can smell a very distinct, very natural, musky scent that belongs solely to Jake. While closing my eyes, I briefly inhale it, traces of his cologne are mixed in there too - reveling in it, but then the sound of Jacob pulls me out of whatever moment I am caught up in.

"Ready?" he calls over to me.

"Sure, let's go."

Our stroll down First Beach begins at one end and then takes us about a mile or so down the shoreline. We talk about casual things at first - about our school day, he opens up and tells me how Quil got another detention for smart mouthing back to a teacher, which of course, reminds me of Mike and the incident with our new English teacher, Mr. Rousseau. I share with him those events from my day, including my assignment as 'tour-guide' to the newest student at Forks High School.

We stop walking and stand in place.

"Your day sounds about as interesting as mine," he concludes, when all is said and done.

Our walk has taken us to a place where a huge cliff comes into view. Using my hand to block the sun from blinding my view, I squint my eyes to get a better look at what I'm seeing in the distance. At first, I think my sight is deceiving me; however, what I soon discover is that it's not. There is a group of guys diving off the edges of the cliff into the water depths below.

"What are they doing?" my curiosity gets the better of me.

Jacob turns to check out what has drawn my attention. However, his expression suddenly grows darker and I momentarily feel bad for unintentionally bringing something up that apparently has set him off.

"Oh, that," he huffs. "It's nothing - just a bunch of idiots who like to show off how 'bad-ass' they think they are. It's not just in Port Angeles - we've got them here too," he snidely remarks.

"Okay," I accept. "But you do know that I asked what they were doing - not who they were," I remind him in a teasing fashion.

There's a moment of complete silence.

"It's called cliff-diving," Jake finally answers my initial question. "Alot of us from the reservation come out on a day like today to go swimming," he shares. "But the jumping is always done at least four more ledges down. Not from the very top like that; it's way too dangerous."

I nod. We continue on our walk.

"That's Sam and his crowd showing off back there," he opens up some more. "They don't care what the weather is like or how dangerous it is. And that's where you'll usually find Embry spending his weekends now too," he vents.

"Oh, sorry." I know from our car ride on Saturday that something went down with Embry, I just didn't know what or how big of a deal it was. But whatever it was, it was obvious that it had really disturbed Jake. So his friend Embry had ditched him for another crowd?

"Yeah, me too," he sighs.

Jacob sees some rocks embedded in the wet sand and he stops to pick them up. I stop too and, just like that, the subject of Embry and the other risky divers gets dropped. Turning to me, he hands me a few of the rocks and I throw him a questioning look. In response, he turns back around to face the water and pitches one of the rocks out towards the open sea. The rock skits across the surface of the water before sinking in and completely vanishing from sight.

"Okay, um ... " I laugh, "nice throw?!"

I shrug my shoulders in the air. I'm not exactly sure where he's going with this.

"New game," he announces with a slight mischievous edge to his tone. "For every rock I can get farther out than yours, we add one year onto my age. If you beat my throw, then the same thing applies to you."

I roll my eyes. "Jake, lame! Besides, I really don't want to think about getting any older than I already am right now. It's enough to deal with. Getting old sucks!" I begin to shuffle my feet in the sand.

"Oh, c'mon, Bells. Don't be a poor sport," he chides me playfully. "Don't you at least want to hear me out on what it is I get if I do win? You know, before you go and turn me down?" he smirks.

I just stare at him.

"Hey, if you beat me, you get to choose what you want too," he tries to use the gentle art of persuasion against me. "And seeing since you're already about two years in age ahead of me, I'd say that gives you a pretty decent head start," he rationalizes.

I shake my head in amusement. "Fine, I'll bite. What do you get if we play this stupid game and you win because you become an old man?" I tease.

"Ouch!" his grin gets wider. "Bells, I'll have you know that I plan on looking this good forever. Chronological age be dammed!"

"Well, good. Then you can let me in on the big secret," I grin back at him.

"Back to my prize," Jacob steers the conversation back. "If I win, I get to take you out on a real date one weekend."

The pit of my stomach feels like it's going to drop out. "Jake," I laugh uneasily. "We already have a date, remember?" I joke. "This coming Saturday. A garage. Two motorcycles in the making. You and me?"

"Bells," he looks at me with a straight face. "As much fun as I'm sure we'll have this coming weekend, that's actually what I refer to as 'the cheap man's date.' No, I mean like a 'real date.' One were you get dressed up, I get dressed up, maybe go see a movie together and then get something to eat? You know," he stresses, "_that _kind of date."

I'm struck completely speechless.

"I'll pay, of course," he rushes out. "I can work a few jobs here and there."

He swings his arms at his sides and then claps his hands together one time. Hm - must be a nervous gesture. I wonder if I'm just reading into that though, because the intensity of his stare floors me and he sounds more than just confident with the suggestion he's made.

"Jake, look," I tread lightly. I close my eyes for a brief moment and release a weary sigh. "You know I love you but that's because we're friends. I'm not ready for anything like that and even if I was," I look him in the eyes on this part, "I wouldn't want to ruin what we have now."

"Yeah, but what if it doesn't ruin it," he pushes. "What if it becomes something better," he tries to reason.

I'm really at a total loss for words on this. I knew he tried to push the Edward issue a few times but I wasn't anticipating this. I close my eyes and shake my head. "Jake?" I plead. "Please don't?!"

"Don't what?" he asserts boldly. "Admit to you that I've started liking you in a way that goes beyond just being friends? I mean, what, I should just keep on pretending that a 'friend' is the only thing I see when I look at you?"

"Jake, it's been months since we've even hung out together," I argue for argument's sake. "In all that time, we've seen each other once this past Saturday. Seriously, how is anything different since then?"

He remains silent. His look conveys everything I need to know.

Oh.

Duh, I think to myself and I feel the urge to smack my forehead. Stupid me for not being able to read through the lines sooner. These 'new' feelings weren't some recent development at all. He's been harboring them for quite some time and it probably goes back into the months before we stopped hanging out. I mean, I know he's been prone to joking around about our relationship - like he did on Saturday, but I always took it as some harmless fun. I can go back even further to his comment made at the school dance last year and that provides another example of a time when he dropped a pretty good hint on what he's been feeling. Call me naive; however, I always chalked it up to nothing more than some harmless 'crush.' Something he'd eventually grow out of and get over and something that would never test the boundaries of our friendship. But when I look at him right now, I conclude that maybe I've presumed wrong.

Have I really been that blind to what has been right in front of me?

_"Yes," a little voice in the back of my head asserts. I try to force it away but find that I can't because it's my own subconscious reminding me of the truth. "You were shutting yourself off from everything that had nothing to with 'him.' You made HIM your world. You made THEM your world. And now, look where that's left you? Completely out of touch with everything and everyone." _

Edward.

The rest of the Cullen's.

I pushed Charlie away in my desperate quest to become one of them.

I fidget nervously and avert my eyes back down towards the sand when I open them back up. This new revelation creates a new sensation inside my stomach - something akin to dancing butterflies flapping around with no escape.

"You're ruining it," I tell him in a soft voice. "I don't want you to ruin it."

"What?" his brows crease together.

"This," I point between the two of us. "You and me," I basically repeat what I've already expressed to him moments before.

I hear a sigh escape from Jake; however, it gives off the impression to me that he just appears to be giving in for the time being. Not that he's angry or frustrated with me.

"I like being friends again," I assert.

"Alright," he eventually concedes. "I had to try," he smiles, trying to make light of it again. He turns his face to the side and releases a deep breath. "So here's the deal, then. When I finish the bikes, if you promise to ride them with me, we'll call it even."

I raise my brow up at him. "A 'real date' or a ride on those death machines? Those are my choices?" my tone passes for amused.

"Take it or leave it," his grin returns.

"Alright, Jake," I relent. "We'll give the motorcycles a try."

"Awesome," Jacob accepts. "And what about for you?"

I think about it for a moment. Glancing over his shoulder, I check out the group of Quileutes plunging into the water below. "There," I point. "If I win, I want you to take me cliff-diving one weekend. Show me how it's done."

Jacob glances back over his shoulders to take a quick look. "Ugh," he grumbles, turning back to look at me. "Fine," he relents, a small smirk forming at the corners of his lips. "It's a deal."

"Shake on it?" I extend my hand.

We shake and then proceed with what I now refer to as the 'age game.' I give it a good effort but, of course, Jake beats me hands down in the end. I try to keep count inside my head and I believe by the time we finish - Jake is aging somewhere at around twenty-eight and I barely make it to twenty-one. Therefore, some motorcycle riding in my future there would be. Charlie will just love that if he ever finds out, I think to myself. I realize a good amount of time has passed by and I need to be getting back to make it to Newton's on time. Jacob and I begin the long stroll back to his Rabbit. However, on the way back, the strangest feeling overtakes me. When we first arrived here, I got chills. I reasoned it away at first - after all, we were standing near the water. Now, I'm feeling the complete opposite. I feel too hot, in fact, I can feel the first beads of perspiration dampening my forehead. Was I getting sick? I rush to remove the hoodie and immediately pull it up over my head. I hand it back over to Jake, thanking him once again for letting me use it.

"I'll still take you cliff-diving one weekend, if you want," Jacob offers out of the blue. "Besides," he smirks. "I figured I'd win that bet either way."

"Why is that?"

"Because, in either situation, it just means that I get to spend more time with you," his soft response flows out with such sincerity.

"Jake?" I proceed with caution. "Are you sure it's okay for us to continue hanging out together? I mean, will it be okay for you?"

"What do you mean?" Jacob throws me a puzzled expression. "Of course, I want to be able to hang out with you."

I suddenly feel faint. However, I can't be sure whether this is due to my nervousness regarding the situation with Jake and his real intentions or if it's connected to this sudden spike in my body temperature that I've just experienced. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself and I attempt to shake the sensation away. Jake stops and eyes me with a concerned look.

"Bells, you okay?"

"Fine. I'm fine," I nod with my eyes closed.

I force myself to continue walking and Jacob joins me.

"No," I continue from before while shoving a piece of loose hair behind my ear, "I just meant since you seem to want a little more than I do right now. I don't want to make you uncomfortable any more than I want to feel that way."

His expression shifts from confused to grave. "Are you uncomfortable hanging out with me?" he sounds concerned. "Because, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable and I would never make you do anything you didn't want to do," he rushes to explain himself.

"I know," I rush back to reassure him. "I know that, Jake. I want to be able to hang out with you, I do."

However, a strong feeling of dizziness takes over this time around and then all of the scenery surrounding me, including Jake's face, begins to spin. My vision is blurry.

"Bells, our friendship will always come first," he affirms strongly. "I did say I'd always be here for you no matter what, didn't I?"

It's the last thing I hear before blackness overtakes me.

* * *

**To Be Continued****: **Uh-Oh! What happened to poor Bella? LOL. Anyway, push the little button and leave me a review if you ever want to find out. It let's me know that people are actually interested in the story.

***Footnotes*:** See http://www(dot)economicexpert/a/Werewolf(dot)htm for listings on werewolf novels/literature and their summaries. Also for information on the 'Werewolf' terminology broken down per country.

Also, see http://en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Swan for information on Swans that I referenced for this chapter.

REVIEW!!! LOL


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